


Unpainted Fate [Rewriting]

by samoyedpup



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum, Bullying, Crushes, Death, Depression, Fluff, Foreshadowing, Homophobia, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, LGBTQ Characters, Multi, PTA Sans, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Racism, Selectively Mute Frisk, Smoking, Swearing, Tags Are Fun, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Transphobia, Trauma, Triggers, Violence, honestly save these smols, kid problems, kids are assholes, meltdowns, references, save the children, school shooting themes, there are a lot of issues in this story tbh, this is fucked up man, we can't have anything nice!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-12-13 13:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 151,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11761233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samoyedpup/pseuds/samoyedpup
Summary: It’s been about a year since the Monsters that were living under Mt. Ebott were freed by the ten year old, now eleven year old, Frisk. They are living happily on the Surface among the Humans who both love and accept them aside from some who are still getting used to the fact that they are not alone. Everyone is fairly happy and things have been worked out, among political standards and simply neighborly standards, so everyone can settle down. But one day, during school on a rainy September morning, Frisk finds themself staring out the second floor window, catching sight of something that would shake up their life -and the world itself.[This work is dedicated to my best friend Clay, but all are welcome to read it!!]





	1. A Strange Encounter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ibukee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibukee/gifts).



> Hello!! Welcome to the rewrite of [A Child Of Our Own]! I am your host, Charles_Quake, and I welcome you to this story!  
> It's lovely to meet you and I really do hope you enjoy! The chapters will be longer this time around and I won't lie, updates will be slow, but they'll be more efficient now!  
> This story is for all to read, but it is dedicated (gifted) to my bestest, greatest, most wonderful friend in the world: claycast! She's been my support for a little over a year now and I love her as platonically as possible! She is a character in here because I love her so, and see down below if you're thinking "oh man, I'd love to have a character in here.." because you might be surprised at what life gives you...
> 
> Thank you for visiting, y'all!!! I hope you have a lovely read!!

The rain bore down mercilessly upon the heart of the city, pounding on the rooftops and turning the cobbled streets of the Downtown District into a warren of slick stones and muddy waters. On the sidewalk out in the front of one of the two only elementary schools in Ebott, there were uneven slabs that had rainbow sheen—signifying all that was left of a kid’s game of hopscotch besides the outline that remained, a ghostly shadow of what it was before the heavy rains that were pounding the city. The sky was dominated by tumbling grays, smoky and silver, and the water droplets fell like they simply couldn’t think of anything better to do. There was laziness about them, as if they could barely be bothered to conform to the will of gravity.

All of the kids had arrived at school safely all togged up in soggy rain jackets and drenched umbrellas, and yet, all day, Frisk found themself just staring through the rectangle of glass beside their desk at the folks that would walk by, the delivery trucks and the traffic that stood still most of the time, and once in awhile, they would see a neighbor of theirs waltz on past because they didn’t have a child, so they didn’t have any business being on the grounds of an elementary school. The rain continued to fall and they continued to stare until they didn’t just see the lights flickering, but they heard them flicker, too. They hadn’t flickered this whole time, but now they were flickering chaotically, more like a joker flicking the switches up and down instead of it being a struggling electricity supply, and Frisk stopped, expecting one of the boys to begin snickering and laughing because they had been playing with the light switch… but they didn’t hear anything except the panicked breathing of the kids around them, and the teacher’s soft voice as she told them that it was just the storm messing with the electricity.

When Frisk looked back out the window, they saw something moving in the flickering light that didn’t seem like anything else outside—almost as if it was a person, albeit as small as a bush. Frisk didn’t see them well enough as the light shined over them to know what they looked like, or perhaps how old they were, but they knew that someone was out there in the rain, cold and damp. Thinking about that made them quite upset and as a good person, they wanted to get that person out of the rain as quickly as possible… and luckily, they had an opening, raising their hand slowly and high into the air with a slight look of desperation.

“Yes, Frisk?” The teacher asked as soon as they noticed the child flailing their hand around desperately. “What do you need?” Frisk signed the word ‘bathroom’ as calmly as they possibly could, seeing slight confusion on their teacher’s face before she clued in and gave them a firm nod. “Be back in ten minutes at the most, please.”

Frisk didn’t hesitate to get onto their feet, frowning a bit at the empty desk beside theirs when they remembered the meaning of it, and simply rushing out the door as if they actually had to use the bathroom. They didn’t, they had gone at lunch and hadn’t digested anything since, so this was a perfect way to get out of class and through the halls without suspicion. They just had a little trouble getting down the stairs, every one of them being a different height from the last and making it impossible to properly judge how high to lift their feet, because it was either too high and they would stumble forward with their foot beneath where they were expecting it to stop; or they kick the step lip with their feet. When they got to the bottom, they made their way to the very big front double doors, gray of unfurnished silver and dull and spotted with years of water damage. Where there should have been some fancy matching handles, there were only two square shafts of dark cold metal, but they merely pushed open the doors and stared into the dark, cold September afternoon, where the rain fell heavily and they cursed themself for not bringing their rain jacket with them. That would’ve caused suspicion, though…

Nonetheless, they moved forward slowly, feeling the rain patter down onto them, soaking into their sweaters and their jeans mercilessly as they merely searched for whoever was stuck out in the rain like they now were. Frisk had seen darkness before, the kind that made the streets look like an old fashioned photograph with everything a shade of gray, but this wasn’t like that. This was ominous, making them jump as a distant howl made their hair stand on end, watching anxiously as the trees slowly transformed into a lethal playground, branches stretched out in front of them, forming a cavern of distorted limbs that seemed to reach out and grab their flesh. Then, they spotted something and they immediately took a step back upon examining it. It was a knife with a little more than just a rusted and jagged blade set in aging wood, the handle warped and held together by a brass-looking screw, and upon seeing the red along the blade, Frisk brought their head up and searched for whoever they had seen. No one would be stupid enough to bring a knife onto school grounds. That was against the rules, so perhaps this person didn’t know the rules… They couldn’t tell, but they finally spotted something behind some of the bushes, barely being able to keep on their feet.

Half-covered in fall leaves was the form of a small Monster, so still that Frisk thought the poor thing might’ve been dying, but one jab of a nearby stick spoke to the contrary. The small Monster, shaped much like a cat, was startled like a newborn infant, their arms flying out despite having been holding a heavily drenched teddy bear, covered in dirt, and their face rigid, eyes as open as they could stretch. A few seconds later, they blinked and crawled backwards ever so slowly until their back hit a tree, a small gasp finally allowing itself to escape from Frisk’s mouth. As the lights inside stopped flickering, beaming down on them much to the little cat’s dismay, Frisk managed to take in the Monster’s appearance beside the fact that this was just a very small cat, very much smaller than Burgerpants could ever even dream to be. Her fur was damp and stringy, as plainly gray as Frisk could ever possibly imagine when they thought of the shade, and her eyes were a dull sapphire blue, the vibrant cover clouded over by the child’s fear of Frisk. She merely wore a dulled pair of white shorts and a dulled white tank top that were torn and splattered red, perhaps from the wounds covering her from head to toe, shocking Frisk for a split second before they simply became worried, crouching forward despite the wet grass and carefully moving towards the Monster.

Then, the Monster’s chin trembled and tears began to thickly stream down her cheeks as she lifted her arms weakly, dropping their bear into their lap, to protect herself from Frisk, which was not a person you would need protecting from, so Frisk decided to move back away, keeping their distance as easily as they could. After a moment, the Monster let their arms down, squeezing their bear, peeking over their trembling little knees at the Human child in front of them, and sniffled, rubbing their arm along their eyes to try and rid their damaged face of the salty tears. Despite their chubby pink-ish cheeks, the rest of their body seemed to have much more pronounced bones than they should ever be on one so young, and Frisk couldn’t help but understand the young Monster’s situation.

“My child, what are you doing out in the rain without your coat!?”

Frisk looked up, recognizing the voice before having to see the face of their adoptive goat Mother who was stuck behind the bushes, but then quickly looked forward towards the smaller Monster they had found, who was now trembling violently again and burying their face into their hands because they were too exhausted to protect themself any longer. Frisk immediately stood up, as slowly as they could, and frantically signed to their Mother about the situation before pointing at the young Monster child, causing their Mother to gasp at the rigid appearance of them. Instead of rushing to call someone, their Mother pushed through the bushes and slowly knelt down so she didn’t scare the child, beginning to hum a soft lullaby that Frisk recognized as the one Toriel had first sung to them as well. The Monster child let their hands fall ever so slowly, cautiously gazing up towards the pair with a sparkle in her eyes as if she was seeing an angel, albeit the sparkle was very hard to notice past her frantic panicking. With one arm, Toriel pulled out a bright yellow raincoat that she must’ve brought along in case Frisk had lost their other one while playing at lunch before pulling out a container containing Frisk’s most favorite thing, making them grin before they knew that no one could resist a slice of their Mom’s famous butterscotch-cinnamon pie.

“Are you hungry…?” Toriel questioned, slowly pushing the container towards the young Monster child, who pulled their feet away momentarily before Toriel pulled her hand away from the container.

A moment passed before the child rushed to grab the container, pulling the lid off and not daring to waste a moment as they grabbed the entire slice in their tiny paws, nearly just inhaling the entire thing within seconds. Frisk had to pay close attention to see that the child was indeed not inhaling the slice of pie and actually chewing as they were supposed to, but they were getting crumbs and such everywhere, albeit not that Frisk or Toriel minded. When the small child was done, Toriel very carefully reached out to put the raincoat over them, letting them decide whether they wanted to wear it or not—putting their arms carefully through the arms of the raincoat as if it was something they had never experienced before. When the coat was buttoned up, albeit non-expertly, the small child began to cry again, squeezing onto their stuffed bear much tighter than before, and then rushed into Toriel’s open arms with such speed that Frisk couldn’t exactly tell if the child was just a blur or actually real. Frisk could tell that the child was real, though, because their skin through the fur bore the tell-tale blues of bruising.

“Frisk, please go back inside and grab your things. Explain to your teacher that your Mother is here and you must leave early for today despite the bell being minutes away.” Toriel advised, in which Frisk merely nodded, watching as their drenched brown hair flicked around with their bobbing head before rushing back inside.

They couldn’t wait to get home and learn about more about this new kid.

 

* * *

 

Toriel expected this new child to reject her food after seeming to have gone so long without any and keeping a tight grip on her bear, but for each spoonful she opened wide, revealing her missing a top left tooth, chewed a little, and then swallowed it down, and each time she got a piece of chicken out of the soup, she would give it wide eyes and it was the closest she could get to being so much more different from Frisk than Toriel had expected. Toriel couldn’t do much for her without the child getting fussy, so she merely covered up the wounds that she could notice on the small cat Monster to avoid infection, wiping some of the blood away with a wet cloth and only stopping when the child became too fussy for her to wipe properly. The child wouldn’t take off her raincoat, just the hood, but Toriel didn’t really mind. After that, she merely just sat down with Frisk across from her, the both of them watching the young girl each with such wonder in her food that it slightly upset them.

She bounced in her chair like she was dancing to music only she could hear, her head and arms flailing up and down while her face was a picture of concentration. The flavors in her mouth seemed to be causing her so much excitement that she couldn’t even dare to sit still, but at the same time, the food was clearly some very serious business. She never dropped anything, scattered anything or threw anything, every piece being sacred as she cleared the bowl in her intense way until it was finally empty. When Toriel gave her more pie, she did it all over again before being lifted up and put down on the couch with Frisk, her eyes staring in concentrated wonder as Toriel scrolled through the channels to find something appropriate for her, settling on one of Frisk’s favorite cartoons for the moment. They were quiet long enough for Toriel to make a couple of phone calls, and then they started squealing, jumping on the couch, and Toriel couldn’t find it in her to be mad.

When Toriel got halfway through the dishes, scrubbing furiously because she had so many racing thoughts and a pair of squealing children in the living room, the door opened and she turned off the water, listening as Frisk was overjoyed to see some people coming home before worrying the because the new child had gone quiet. She grabbed a towel, rubbing her hands dry quickly, and then rushed out to greet whoever had come in, finding the new child hiding behind a couch cushion, peering around it at Asgore, Sans and Chara, and quite curiously instead of fearfully at Flowey. However, Chara and Flowey merely split off from the adults, heading over to the new child with Frisk—after Chara dumped Flowey into Frisk’s arms, of course. The adults moved into the kitchen after Toriel was sure that Chara and Frisk could handle the small child and Flowey.

“That’s the child you called about…?” Asgore asked her softly, hunched over a bit so his horns wouldn’t scratch against the doorway and because he was worried about scratching the ceiling—again. Toriel gave a firm, frantic nod before jumping a little bit from the squealing laughter that erupted from the living room yet again, relieved that Flowey wasn’t biting anyone and that Chara wasn’t yelling or being rude like they usually were.

“But she’s… so small.” Sans stated the obvious, not even following up with her on how things with Chara and Flowey today. He merely kept his hands in his jacket pockets, leaning against the counter, and Toriel just sighed, giving another nod.

“I went to go pick up Frisk from school and I found them out in the rain with her. The raincoat she’s wearing is an extra one of Frisk’s that I didn’t realize was too small for them before it was too late to turn around and go home, so I just gave it to her because the only other thing she had to wear was simply a drenched pair of white shorts and a white tank top that was torn up and stained red with blood.” Toriel explained a little frantically, calming down ever so slightly when Asgore rested a hand on her shoulder. She continued on, however, just less harshly than before. “I don’t know her name or where she came from, but I know that she’s young and that it was awful—she cannot go back. I patched her up the best I could, but she got a little fussy, so I couldn’t do much.”

“Maybe we should call Alphys?” Sans suggested, but Toriel shook her head.

“I can do a fine job myself, with no disrespect to Alphys. I believe that the child would have a heart attack if introduced to any bigger of a crowd right now.” Toriel responded, in which Sans let out a slight wince from thinking about that happening. “I just need to find a way to patch her up without her getting fussy and a way to keep her calm because she panics at the slightest things, much like Frisk did.”

“You don’t think she—“

“We’re not going to talk about that right now.”

No one would dare to argue with Toriel, as they had learned the consequences of that once before and it wasn’t pretty in any way. It was the same as getting her angry. There had been a mess that one day when someone got on her nerves and people finding things everywhere weeks after, and they never wanted to experience that ever again. When they were sure that they were done talking at the moment aside from all of the legal stuff, because they were sure that they would cross that bridge when it came to that, they went back into the living room, trying not to disturb the suddenly silent children as they sat in front of the TV and watched a cartoon marathon. They sat on the couch together, quite squished and uncomfortable but as casual as possible, and they tried to focus on the cartoon, but they found themselves focusing on the kids instead—and on the sign language conversation they were having.

 _What’s your bear’s name?_ Frisk questioned the new child, who just barely caught on because she was focused on the cartoon playing out before her. She lifted her small paws, Toriel just now noticing that the small girl had a glove on her left paw but not one on her right, and she signed very slowly, albeit clearly.

  
_His name is S-t-e-v-e-n._ She responded, spelling it out easily despite how old she probably was. There was a pause, and then Chara tried to dig deeper despite Frisk probably having told them not to go to quickly for the poor girl.

 _What’s your name? Are you double digits yet, or not?_ They questioned, in which the young girl lifted her head a little bit, one of her ears twitching as if she had heard something aside from the cartoon—or maybe she heard something slightly familiar.

 _My name is…_ She paused, trying to think and picking at some dry blood on her wrist. She refused to wash up for some reason. _F-a-t-e is my name. I’m eight._ She made eye contact with Chara and her sapphire blue eyes peered straight into their dark red ones for a moment before she looked down and then back up at the TV.

“What happened to your family?” Flowey suddenly asked, causing Frisk and, surprisingly, Chara to glare down at him. He shrunk in on himself a little bit, but when they realized that Fate wasn’t responding, they got a little worried. She appeared to be thinking as she stared at the TV screen, but it didn’t look like she was paying attention to the cartoon anymore—it was as if someone else was speaking to her.

 _Gone._ She finally signed with a slight shrug, not seeming to know what had happened to them.

She ran away from somewhere awful, that much was obvious, but her family before that… she didn’t know and neither did they. She paused again and before anyone could ask, she started humming a tune. It was a soft tune and with her young vocal chords, actually quite creepy, but no one dared to say anything as she repeated the same tones over and over again, bringing it out into a sort of lullaby that might be sung by a Mother to a child—except it certainly didn’t seem to be fitting for such a young girl to know and she seemed to figure that out after a moment, stopping her humming that could’ve gone on endlessly. She then reached under her raincoat and into a pocket of her shorts that wasn’t really noticeable, pulling out a small lighter with a small, genuine smile.

“Whoa, cool, have you burned things?” Chara suddenly asked with a grin, causing everyone to shake their heads aside from Flowey. Fate paused, staring at her little lighter before looking at Chara and giving them a firm nod, albeit it was small, so she probably had just burned a paper or something by accident.

 _Light._ She told them with one hand before flicking the top of her lighter off and pulling down on the little trigger to light the fire, in which Chara giggled and Toriel kneeled onto the ground as quickly as she could without startling the young girl, who immediately pulled her lighter away and let go of the trigger that kept it lit.

“Not in here, please.” She suggested, in which Fate paused before giving a nod, her ears nodding back and forth with her head. Toriel looked a little shaken up from the humming for some reason, but they could only wait until Fate was asleep or occupied again to figure out why. Right now was a time of learning where Fate came from, or at least a little bit about her. “Any allergies I should know of?”

 _A-v-o-c-a-d-o makes my throat close up._ Fate told her with a distant look and a slight frown, almost as if she had experienced a very bad time with avocados, and Toriel gave her a nod since she usually didn’t use avocados in anything she cooked anyways.

“Any medical problems?” Toriel questioned, in which the young girl had to pause for a second, playing with one of her ears, and then she responded.

 _Nightmare Disorder._ She responded simply, seeming to still be thinking. _Anemia._ She paused again and then pointed to her head, which Toriel didn’t catch onto, but Fate kept going and helped her catch on. _Depression, Anxiety, P-s-y-c-h-o-s-i-s._

There was a pause before Toriel nodded; making note to pick up medication from the local pharmacy as soon as possible, and Fate seemed to be thinking about more things, in which no one wanted to interrupt her train of thought. Frisk looked down at her teddy bear before suddenly noting the star-shaped birthmark on the inside of Fate’s left wrist, and then noticing the glove for themself.

 _I dropped my bag at the big building…_ Fate told them, and Frisk gave her a soft smile.

 _I can search for it when I go to school tomorrow. That’s the big building._ Frisk offered, watching as Fate nodded a bit before giving off a confused expression. They didn’t have to ask as she raised her hands to sign right away.

 _What is… school?_ She had a bit of trouble copying the sign that Frisk did, but she managed it, and no one was sure how to explain it to her. Toriel managed, though, somehow.

“It’s, um… It’s a place where kids like you and Frisk, and Chara, go to learn.” Toriel explained, watching as Fate paused before her face lit up and she nodded. It made Toriel smile a bit at how excited Fate looked at the mention of possibly getting to go to a place where she could learn all sorts of things.

 _I get to go?_ She asked, watching as they all paused and the Toriel gave her a slight nod, carefully putting a hand on top of the young girl’s head.

“When you’re ready to interact with other children and the lot—“ Toriel started, pausing for a moment to look at Sans and Asgore only to get a pair of shrugs from the both of them. “… but for now, can you tell us more about yourself?”

 _What about me?_ She questioned with a small tilt of her head, one of her ears twitching again as she looked up at one of the windows and then back to Toriel, who wasn’t sure what to ask, so Chara did.

“Where didya come from?” Chara asked innocently, gaining a slight look from their Mother although they just grinned back at her because they were sure that Fate could talk about where she came from. It couldn’t have been a bad place, it just would’ve had… bad people.

 _Cabin with lots of trees._ Fate started to explain, pausing as she thought. She didn’t look too happy to think about it, humming a slightly different tune from the one before as she thought, the tune sending uncomfortable shivers up and down each of their spines. She stopped when she thought of more to sign and Chara couldn’t help but sign in relief because… it was actually too unsettling for them. _River down past the spider webs, lots of danger… I was not allowed to go outside a lot of the time, but I could not stay any longer. She paused again, looking a little tense. … You will not take me back, will you?_

“No!” Toriel got out before anyone could stop her, making Fate jump a bit from the goat Mother’s sudden answer, and she calmed down immediately so the child wouldn’t have a reason to remain scared. “None of us will be returning you to where you came from, alright?” Fate paused before nodding a little bit and everyone paused, unsure if they would rather ask now or later about—

“What about the people?” Flowey questioned, his gaze focused on the cartoon, and Chara lifted a fist in his direction, making him flinch, although Toriel grabbed her child’s wrist and shook her head. Fate seemed to pause, seeming unsure about telling them, but slowly lifted her hands at a snail’s pace before starting to sign a little quickly.

 _Very bad people, not nice, not nice at all._ She shook her head a bit, trying to quickly think of how to say things, and she managed to get some things out. _Creepy women came to visit often, then there was the scientist guy who hurt my eye, and then—_ She paused, seeming to try and work up the courage to talk about someone else, but then she started to cry ever so softly and shook her head to tell them that she couldn’t talk about that person, not yet. That was okay.

“How about some rest? You must be tired from travelling so far.” Toriel offered, in which Fate paused for a moment before nodding her head. “You can sleep in Frisk’s bed tonight and Frisk can stay in Chara’s bed, just for tonight.” Neither of the kids could groan because Toriel was being stern with her words. “Flowey will fend off the nightmares, **correct**?”

There was a pause before Flowey hummed a bit in response and Frisk and Chara got to their feet to lead Fate upstairs, letting the small cat Monster take her time in getting onto her bare, scratched-up feet to follow them. Toriel decided to patch her up tomorrow because trying to do it now would only make the girl fussy before bed, which was never a good thing, and she didn’t want to fight to get past a raincoat right now. When the door upstairs closed, Toriel let out a breath she didn’t know that she had been holding, and Sans leaned forward on the couch cushions.

“She really likes that raincoat and that bear, huh?” Sans asked, in which Toriel paused to regain her composure before giving him a firm nod. “… Her name is Fate, she’s eight years old, she hums hella creepy lullabies, and she came from a cabin in the dangerous woods where she was basically held captive by awful people. “Creepy women” came to “visit” and there was a scientist who hurt her eye—what the hell do you think the other person who she can’t talk about did to her?”

“Have you seen the dried blood yet, Sans?” Asgore asked cautiously with his hands clasped together in his lap. “Whoever she can’t talk about, they must be the one who did that to her—the one that put her there and made her run away.”

“I mean… past the visuals.” Sans stated in a low voice, in which Toriel immediately raised one of her hands to stop that part of the conversation from going any further.

“… I’ll be going to the pharmacy tomorrow to get medication to help Fate with her Anemia and Mental Disorders.” Toriel told them with a firm voice, lowering her hand. “Asgore, I’d like you to go to the police station and talk specifically to Undyne, and whoever her partner may be, and Sans, I want you to watch over her and Flowey while Chara and Frisk attend their classes tomorrow.” She took a deep breath. “Whatever Fate has gone through, I refuse to give her back, even if it means taking legal action.”

There was a pause as they all registered their jobs mentally, and Toriel’s slightly threatening words, before Asgore took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, giving a slight nod.

“Perhaps I should bring Undyne here to talk with her, or Alphys to get her properly looked at?” Asgore questioned with Sans sitting up straight beside him and giving a nod. Toriel paused before sighing and nodding a bit.

“Tomorrow morning before I leave, I will tend to her wounds, but everything else can be left in Alphys’ hands.” Toriel told them before they all sat there in the living room, questioning who could’ve been so cruel to such a young child and wondering where this would take them.

 

* * *

 

On the wall that had been crumbling for the past couple of years, he sat and let his eyes roam over the graffiti—the little dumb angels with wings and the rainbows that left so many wishes ungranted at the end of them. With a finger on his right hand, he felt the cracks and the pits made by so many seasons of hail and rain. Today, like the sidewalk weeds, they were dry. As the wintry wind from the slightly ajar window bit at his face, he gave a growing grin full of malicious intent, knowing that he just had to be patient…

And he would get what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, what a first chapter! There's certainly some more details and mystery than the last time, huh? Fate has a little bit of a different story this time around, but she's still my beautiful, intelligent girl!!
> 
> If you liked this, please leave a Kudo or even a comment with your thoughts! I love talking to people online and I love prediction + feedback comments because they help me out a lot!!
> 
> ~~
> 
> Our winners for the OC contest are:  
> @gaytriangle  
> @Treedomy  
> Abi: the one with writers block  
> @CauseICan  
> Lanessa  
> Kalowa


	2. An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate takes a stroll down memory lane, Frisk is given a fright, Chara is asking the real questions, Flowey is much more mysterious than he originally gave off, Sans knows what the best carton ever created is, Toriel is overrun by enthusiastic children, and Asgore takes a certain troublemaker to the doctor's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's plenty of things to say, but I dunno how to say them all, so y'know what? Enjoy this chapter!!

Fate sat up, not wanting to waste this chance to go through her memories. Frisk and Chara were sleeping, and Flowey appeared to be as well, and the house seemed quiet, so she sat up and she started to think, clenching to Steven like a lifeline. She pulled her lighter from her pocket and flicked it on, looking at the dark room that lit up with her little, and trusty, lighter.

‘ _ This is my lighter. I got it for my birthday so I could set the trash on fire and make a flare for a something that had nothing to do with me. _ ’ She thought before letting her thumb lift up, the fire going out quickly, and she closed the top of it, shoving it back into the pocket of her new raincoat. The raincoat was quite the generous gift and a sign of her escape in her mind. She managed to smile, but as she continued to try and think, a slow realization crept cold fingers down her spine. ‘ _ … What’s my real name? _ ’

No, her real name was not Fate. It had never been and yet, all she could think of was Fate. It sprung into her mind as naturally as using her right paw over her left one despite being left-pawed and no matter how hard she tried, that seemed to be her name now. She didn’t want to think back on her old one and now, she was stuck with the name Fate… and she actually really liked that because she designed her story—not anyone else who dared to take a step too close to her. Her Mom always said to keep her goals simple and that’s why she planned to do as she lied back down, holding Steven even closer to her body. Steven was her Grandmother’s, and then her Mother’s, and now he was hers… He would be kept in good condition and she would keep herself protected with her beautiful yellow raincoat and her trusty little lighter.

Frisk would get her bag tomorrow. She would be okay… she would, wouldn’t she?

**Hm hm hm, hm hm hm…**

Quiet humming went through the night, the sound echoing through the room as a light rain fell from the sky, continuing to wet the stone paths and continuing to create a soft rhythm on windows and rooftops. The town was asleep and while everything was still, there was the haunting melody that Fate softly let out, deciding to sit up again, letting her little legs hang over the edge of Frisk’s bed. Her sapphire blue eyes gazed over Frisk and Chara’s sleeping forms, and then over Flowey’s, and then she looked out the window as she hummed her soft tune that she had learned from someone she had been close to… She was merely two feet and eleven inches of pure gray fur, cloaked in a bright yellow raincoat that reached her little knees, the right one heavily damaged, and her legs were bare, void of any clothes, while she remained barefooted and wiggled her little toes.

Her humming was smooth and didn’t wake anyone, but it carried out into the air as she gave a small smile, wondering where this adventure would take her next.

**Hm hm hm, hm hm hm…**

Only one person remained awake at this time of night, unable to sleep despite the fact that his twin sister was passed right out on the bed across the room from him. He was sitting on the windowsill, the window opened a crack, and his hazel green eyes blinked before he left them closed, heavy and tired… and then a haunting melody reached his sensitive cat-like ears. Damn being a Pheofrash and damn the Surface having so many more new sounds than he could’ve ever imagined underground. The humming sent a shiver down his spine and he peered out the window, wondering if he was just imagining it, and decided to shut his window, including shutting the humming out. Along like a lullaby and so nice… he had to sleep for school tomorrow, and it would keep him up much longer than necessary.

Who would be humming so late at night, though…?

 

* * *

Frisk was awoken by the warm rays of sunlight hitting their face. They were lying on their back, Chara basically curled up into the wall, and they let the occurrences of yesterday wash over their mind. After a few minutes of enjoying the soft bed beneath them and the warmth of the sun after the storm yesterday, they decided that it was time to get up, so they rubbed their eyes to get the sleep out of them and then they moved to get up, looking over at their bed and expecting to see Fate… but she wasn’t there. Perhaps she had gotten up before them, so they didn’t panic just yet, especially not after smelling pancakes from downstairs.

When they opened the door and started heading down the stairs, they gave a smile upon immediately recognizing the bright yellow raincoat at the table, causing them to let out a light laugh as they made their way over. They sat down across from Fate, who looked up at them briefly and then looked straight back down, swinging her legs lazily as she gazed at the ground and humming quietly, absent minded to the fact that Frisk could indeed hear her. She stopped humming when Toriel put a plate of pancakes down in front of her, alongside a small plate of bacon and sausages that made her eye the goat Mother a little suspiciously. Disregarding the cutlery, Fate grabbed a piece of bacon and started to bite at it happily once she realized that it wasn’t going to hurt her, although Frisk wasn’t sure how bacon could be harmful.

“So… what do you call where you came from besides ‘cabin in the woods’?” Chara asked suddenly from the staircase. Sitting down beside Frisk, the pair of children watched Fate as she ate and thought about her answers carefully before signing.

_ I come from the Abaddon. _ Fate responded, in which Frisk tilted their head in confusion and Chara suddenly went silent, watching closely as their Mother put down plates in front of them and Frisk. They then kept their eyes trained on the pancakes; even as Toriel and Asgore sat down to eat with them, Asgore sitting in one of the normally unused chairs at the end of the table between Toriel and Chara, just so Fate could have her own seat at the table.

“… That’s just a legend, told to frighten children.” Chara then said, everyone watching in confusion as Fate looked up to Chara with a stern expression and a cold gaze that sent shivers down their spines, if they were going to be honest. That gaze alone told Chara that Fate wasn’t lying, and wasn’t joking, so they decided to just be silent and eat their breakfast.

“… Well, um, Sans will be over soon and your Father and I will be heading off to attend to some business.” Toriel told them, in which Frisk and Chara both nodded, Frisk starting to eat their pancakes slowly. “By the time Sans is here, I expect the both of you to be ready to head to school as per usual.” They both nodded again and Fate merely continued to eat her bacon, nibbling on a pancake here and there although she seemed to find them bland.

Frisk couldn’t blame her. The pancakes this morning, although their Mother was the most amazing cook, seemed to taste bland…

 

* * *

Fate and Flowey got along well. After everyone left, leaving her, Sans and Flowey as the only residents of the house, Fate immediately grabbed the potted plant from Frisk and Chara’s room before rushing downstairs and turning on the TV to watch something. She didn’t mind if it was a cartoon or something she shouldn’t have been able to understand at her age, she just enjoyed it. Surprisingly, Flowey didn’t bite her like he did to Chara the first time the demon child tried to grab his pot or when Frisk first got him from the Underground, he just made awfully rude comments and that was all. Fate didn’t even seem phased by them, but he didn’t dare to use his scary face on her and that’s what worried Sans although he was merely taking a nap on the couch. When Fate left for a moment with the potted plant only to return with one of the books from Toriel’s bookshelf, Flowey listened intently as she softly read it, albeit Sans could only hear the mumble of her tone because she was being so quiet.

When she got tired of reading out loud, Flowey watched whatever was on the TV as the young girl continued her little adventure, starting to hum a bit until she was fully humming and no longer reading. Her gaze was still on the book, but her thoughts weren’t there anymore. She didn’t notice when a pair of gazes fell onto her or that she wasn’t focused on the book anymore, and she didn’t hear when Sans called her name. She was lost in her head as per usual.

“Fate!”

She was startled out of her daze, her humming stopping abruptly, and she lifted her gaze up to Sans as she blinked a couple of times, noticing that the skeleton seemed quite worried. After a beat of silence, Sans decided to speak up again.

“Where is that melody from?” He questioned, curious if the melody had an origin or if it meant something; why she was always humming it. Fate fiddled with her fingers, careful of her gloved hand that screamed suspicion, and she didn’t really seem like she wanted to answer, but she did anyways.

_ We always hummed to keep the scary things away, and the nightmares, too. _ She responded slowly, her attention carefully drifting back to the pages of her book. Sans decided not to push further and for once, Flowey didn’t seem to want to push it either. However, for once, Fate didn’t seem to mind continuing.  _ We learned from the ma’am while Z went over things with the… others. _ There was a pause before Fate suddenly stood up, doggy-tagging the corner of the page and closing the book she was reading, putting it down beside Flowey, and she turned towards Sans.  _ The ma’am’s humming was much more smooth and slow. It was… hauntingly beautiful, just like her. _ There was another pause as Fate thought, actually smiling a bit as she continued.  _ We were all close and they helped me get out of the cabin, but they couldn’t help me in the woods because it was too dangerous. _

“Why were the woods dangerous?” Sans asked, clearly curious, and it was then that Fate stopped, unsure of how to respond. She had to take a moment, and then she responded.

_ Nightmares. _ She responded simply, finally sitting back down and paying attention to the TV again. The woods were just dangerous, it seemed, so Sans wouldn’t question her any further… but she seemed to like cartoons, so…

“… Hey, you wanna run a marathon of one of the best cartoons ever?” Sans asked her, watching as she turned to him and paused, her face lighting up straight before she started to nod frantically. He sat up and patted the couch beside him, in which she grabbed Flowey and her book and put them on the side table, climbing up to sit on the couch with him. He went into the recordings, knowing that Frisk had every single episode of the cartoon up to then because it was their favorite, and he started straight from episode one.

Ah, the good old days…

 

* * *

When the dawn came, Chara could barely move, and not because Fate and Frisk was snuggled in so close to them on the small couch, on each of their sides. Every muscle has seized up, their body struggling to recover and to repair the damage, and they were unable to move with any grace in their movements, jerking a bit. Fate awoke, this time not in a panic but sleepily, and they merely tucked her back in and she stayed there, curled into the small ball that she was. Chara edged into the light that flowed water-like through the windows and realized that on each of their arms, there were great purple welts that would only deepen over the coming week. Against their ghostly skin the bruises were grotesque, but they knew that they were lucky not to have any broken bones despite looking as beat up as they did in their earlier days of training. They definitely looked better than Fate had come to and they remembered about the purple welts that were scattered across her abdomen like a disease, that they had seen only because they had gotten into a tickle fight with her, and they wondered if some ribs were cracked under the gnarly things, since the small girl seemed to have trouble breathing anyways.

They wondered if she actually trusted any of them or if she was just pretending.

They soon learned that she did in fact trust them a lot more than she did when she first came home with Toriel and Frisk, finally agreeing with Toriel to have a bath after learning what exactly it was. She was afraid of taking showers, it seemed, so a bath was reasonable and Chara was more than happy to help with the small girl. Toriel filled the bath almost immediately, in which Chara put in a lot more bubble bath soap than necessary, and when Toriel lowered Fate in, the water seemed happy to have such a small friend. Every injury stung with the soap being washed in, but it was the only way to avoid infection and she seemed to understand that even as she winced. After the initial surge of pain, it ebbed away and she could enjoy taking a bath and Toriel getting her fur all clean while Chara played with her, using Frisk’s bath toys after getting their permission. When Fate was lifted out, it was easier to see her injuries without any dirt or dried blood in the way and Chara found themself wincing.

Where there should have been smooth skin with fur over it, there was torn muscle all pink and red, many cuts and scrapes not even beginning to add up to some of the injuries she carried. Starting from the top, the first injury was a deep cut on the left side of her forehead, almost looking as if it had just been stabbed and left, but they were sure that Fate would’ve been dead on the spot if that were the case. They found that her left eye looked a little red, but they didn’t really think much of it, their eyes gliding quickly over the cut across the bridge of the girl’s little pink nose and then across her right cheek. The next was a deep cut into her right shoulder and as they shifted, they found that it went all the way through to the back of her shoulder, and then they noticed the red welts across Fate’s back that made them wonder before returning to the bruises across her abdomen that they had witnessed before. What they hadn’t witnessed was a cut on the left side of Fate’s abdomen that reached from just under her ribs down to her hip, looking like the shallowest of all her injuries, and then the deepest seeming cut on her right thigh that was dribbling a little bit of blood from being washed out to avoid infection. The last one was Fate’s right knee, which was now clearly a gunshot, and Chara wondered not only why Fate wouldn’t take off her glove at all, soaking it in the bath water, but how she was alive and nonetheless running around like she wasn’t injured at all.

They just decided that Fate was a very strong and unique little girl when their Mother asked them to distract her while her wounds were being treated. It was a feat easier said than done, as it was found that Fate was afraid of needles, that a bullet was still stuck in Fate’s knee, and that Fate was indeed hiding an injury with her glove. Said injury was found to be that the little girl was missing two of her fingers on her left hand, her ring finger and her middle finger, the first two knuckles from the top. It was a very long morning that ended with Chara reading to Fate while the young girl recovered from all the poking and prodding by resting on the couch, albeit Chara was overwhelmingly curious about the birthmark on the inside of Fate’s left wrist, the one that was shaped like a star. Frisk woke up after Chara and Fate had left to go upstairs and was sitting at the table doing their homework while Toriel made breakfast, Asgore slowly coming down the stairs. Flowey was upstairs in Chara and Frisk’s room, and Fate seemed to finally be a little sleepy again which was a good thing at the moment.

“So, will Fate be going to school?” Chara suddenly asked curiously, remembering the conversation from a couple of days ago, pausing their reading of Fate’s current favorite book out of their bookshelf, and they could hear Toriel pausing her cooking to think as they looked at Frisk, who looked just as curious.

“I don’t see why not. She seems much more settled in now.” Asgore let out as he poured himself a cup of coffee, although Toriel only stared into the bowl of pancake mix she held in her hands. She was obviously reluctant to let the small, wounded girl around a bunch of other bustling children, especially since Chara and Frisk were in another grade than she would be, and when Fate sat up to ask a question, she was about to become even more reluctant.

_ What is school? Like… I know we go to learn, but what is it like and all? _ Fate questioned again. There was a pause and then Chara cleared their throat, trying to find the proper way to explain it without being scolded.

“It’s, um…” They trailed off, tapping their head a bit to try and get an idea of what to say, spitting out whatever came to the tip of their tongue. “It’s an institution where they educate people. Not just us kids, but more people. It’s…  **alright** .” There was a pause as Fate stared straight at Chara and Chara stared back the best they could before they spat out more questions. “Do you know about holidays? Like, Halloween or Christmas?” There was a longer pause before Fate shook her head frantically.

_ School is a place where people get educated?  _ **_All_ ** _ people? _ Fate asked, looking quite confused.  _ Educated in what? _

“Oh, um, like… There are a lot of subjects, but the main ones are usually Math, English, Science and History, although Physical Education is pretty… mandatory for some people. There are other subjects, too, like Drama or just subjects on certain things.” Chara told her, watching her face light up a bit.

_ There are different levels of school, too. _ Frisk stepped in once they were sure that Chara was done talking.  _ They’re called Grades and then there are different kinds of schools for different Grades! Kindergarten to Grade Seven is Elementary school, where Chara and I go, and than Grade Eight to Grade Twelve is High School. College and University is for adults that have passed through Elementary and High School. _ There was another pause and Fate looked quite ecstatic, nearly bouncing up and down in her seat.

_ That sounds so cool! _ Fate signed enthusiastically, but Toriel stepped in there.

“Yes, but some of the teachers and kids can be mean. You wouldn’t be in the same Grade as Chara or Frisk.” She told the young girl, who didn’t seem very phased by that. “I wouldn’t be there either, no one you know would, you would only see Chara and Frisk at break and at lunch before the day ends.”

_ … Why can’t I just bring Flowey? _ Fate questioned, in which the whole house went silent beside the whistling of the tea kettle, which Asgore got to before it gave any of them could gain a headache. She  **could** take Flowey to school, that wasn’t against the rules as Frisk had done it many times before without getting into trouble, but Toriel wondered if the flower would even cooperate with the young girl. He didn’t seem to mind being around her, but spending the whole day with her… That might not go over well. There was only so many ways to test it, but Toriel didn’t feel like she had the time to put together anything besides the actual thing.

“Okay, fine… I’ll get the papers and I’ll fill them out with the whole other load of papers I have piled up for me on my desk.” Toriel promised them, in which the three children smiled up at her angelically, returning to whatever they had been doing before with newfound enthusiasm while Asgore merely chuckled at them.

Toriel wondered what she ever did to have been blessed all of this.

 

* * *

The carefree happiness hadn’t lasted very long, apparent by how Fate climbed up onto the plastic chair with her little legs curling underneath her, her paws wringing together in her lap and her shoulders hunched as she hoped to disappear into her raincoat and never again return. She looked as willing to be in the medical waiting room as she indeed was. The chair to her right squeaked in protest as Asgore’s weight settled in, him being the only one able to drive her all the way here and take her in.

“I do not see what all the fuss is about this.” Asgore sighed as he rested his big paws on his knees, looking over at the very small child. “All we want to have done is a physical. Most humans have one every year, I have heard, so it cannot be so bad, can it? A simple check on your stats and health.”

The only answer he got in return was a look, not a very nice one, but not a bad one either, telling as much as the fact that the mysterious child had been listening. It was a humongous improvement from the start of the day. Sans’ polite suggestion that they take Fate to a professional doctor, with no offence intended towards Toriel, had caused an immediate dash and vanishment of said child, and the combined efforts of Sans, Toriel, Asgore, Frisk, Chara and even Flowey had nearly failed to pull Fate out of one of the closets that almost seemed like a lair for her. The valiant warriors were probably still spread out in various positions of exhaustion around the house while he, ex-King of Monsters, was barely preventing a feather-light-smaller-than-Frisk feline from escaping this appointment with the most stealth that he had witnessed in a long time.

“I do wish we could have found some other way to do this that would not cause you so much distress.” Asgore sighed, watching as she curled in on herself even more, glaring at her own knees. “What has gotten you so worked up?”

“Fate Dreemurr?”

Because Fate hadn’t shared a last name, and hadn’t exactly come with a label, they had put her in the system as a Dreemurr to avoid suspicion of a missing last name and if she was legally in their hands or not. She still wasn’t legally, but she would be fairly soon. Asgore’s head turned and a smile popped onto his face as he looked back down at Fate.

“Shall we go in?” He questioned, gaining a response of silence as Fate continued glaring at her knees. “... Force it is, then.”

Cautiously grabbing the young child, dodging her flinging limbs the best he could and smiling apologetically to everyone in the waiting room along with the nurse for the child’s almost unholy screeching before she went dead in his arms with a pout. The nurse gave him a sympathetic grin, probably used to children being scared of the doctor’s, and started to lead them into a room, but not before stopping by a weighing station and a height stick. He didn’t miss how Fate was eyeing the exit signs thoughtfully.

“We need to… check her height for the records.” The nurse told him, in which Asgore gave a nod and put the girl down on the little stand, staying in a kneel so he could grab her if she tried to make a run for it. “Stand up straight and tall, honey.”

Fate paused before doing as she was told, standing up as straight as possible and letting out a soft squeak when the horizontal stick tapped the top of her head, the nurse writing down notes before just shaking her head at the weighing station, probably not willing to deal with the whole “take certain things off so we can do this properly” due to the little girl’s restlessness. When the whole height thing was done and over with, the nurse just put them in a room where Fate sat on a chair instead of the bed she was meant to, seemingly scared out of her mind. The sight of the damned exam table had her frozen in fear and staring at her little red boots like they were a lifeline. She squeezed at her poor little legs when the door opened and the doctor came in, not paying attention at all as Asgore gave his fellow monster companion a thankful nod for taking them in on such a short notice.

The tall cyan-furred cat monster put their clipboard own on the table and kneeled down in front of Fate, making a small sound that she seemed to respond to calmly, finally looking up at someone other than Asgore for once during this whole visit. The tall cat gave her a soft smile and Asgore could see one in return tugging at her lips a bit, but not actually coming through, but the doctor didn’t seem to mind, standing up and grabbing his clipboard to write down a couple of notes before holding a furry paw out to Asgore.

“Good afternoon, Fluffybuns.” He greeted, in which Asgore shook their paw with a sweet smile.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Tukker. It is nice to see you again.” Asgore greeted in response, gaining a happy grin from Tukker before the tall cat focused on his small patient.

“Do you mind taking off your coat and boots?” Tukker questioned softly, in which Fate froze for a moment, seeming quite reluctant. “Only for a couple moments. The more you cooperate, the faster this’ll go, mkay?” There was a pause and then Fate nodded a little bit, to Asgore’s surprise, and she kicked off her boots as she unbuttoned her coat needing a bit of help to take it off that Tukker had covered. “I’m going to start with your arms, alright?”

Fate gave another nod before holding out her arms for Tukker in a way that had Asgore wondering why she hadn’t been so cooperative earlier on. Tukker slowly undid the bandages around her little arms before holding onto each of her paws loosely, running soft pads over every inch of each of her arms quickly and carefully, pausing for a moment every time she flinched under his touch. He rotated her wrists a couple of times to get a good look at all of the scars up and down them, a couple of cuts scattered about, and then wrapped her arms right back up before gently grabbing her little feet, hearing her wince as she immediately pulled back. It was out of reflex and Tukker knew that, waiting for her to give her feet back over before examining them. He was so quiet that it was unsettling…

“You have burns along the side from your ankle, and I’m guessing that the bottoms of your feet are all scratched up from your time outside without shoes?” Tukker questioned, gaining a small nod from the little feline. “I’m not going to ask where any of these come from, it’s alright. I can tell what they’re from anyways, and I won’t say if it makes you uncomfortable.” At that, Fate gave a relaxed smile and seemed to wind down, her shoulders dropping as she calmed down from being so tense beforehand. Tukker gave her a smile in return. “That’s more like it. You’re doing much better than a lot of healthy children, by the way.”

Fate almost puffed her chest out in pride and Asgore couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that. Examining the little feline’s equally little legs, Tukker found not much interest in her right knee because when he poked and prodded at it, Fate constantly winced at every single touch, making him decide on  **not** unwrapping the bandages around that one. It was best to let it heal up. As much as he wanted to examine her back to make sure that nothing was wrong, she refused to let him and it was understandable, so it wasn’t exactly like she was being uncooperative again.

“Can I take a look at your soul?” Tukker questioned, in which Fate leaned back in her seat with a frown, seeming very hesitant. “Would you like Asgore to close his eyes?”

There was a pause and then Fate gave a small nod, Tukker turning towards Asgore, who gave a frantic nod and closed his eyes as advised from Tukker’s look. He assumed that Tukker had taken a look at Fate’s soul, although it was a very silent examination aside from the sound of pencil scratching against paper so the doctor could make quite necessary notes for her file. Toriel wouldn’t have her see anyone else, Asgore was quite sure of that, and when Tukker tapped his shoulder to allow him to open his eyes again, for the first time in a very long while, Asgore found that Tukker was frowning. It was a split second notice, and then Tukker smiled again.

“She’s pretty much all done. I have all my notes and I’ve checked everything that I can. She’s pretty healthy.” He explained, grabbing his clipboard again and going over the notes. “Make sure to clean her wounds and redo her bandages once a week at the least, make sure she’s eating properly and getting the right amount of exercise, but don’t over-exert her. If she feels tired, let her take a break. Naps have never hurt anyone, either.” He paused for a moment, reading through some of the notes and then starting up again. “I suggest some soul-strengthening exercises or medicine even, since I’m in charge of all her prescriptions, and she has refills on all of them in case she runs out and needs more before you see me next. I’d like to see her again early next month, if that’s possible.”

“It should be.” Asgore responded, gaining a nod from the feline doctor as he rested his clipboard under his arm.

“Well, that’s all!” He told them, watching with a grin as Fate immediately grabbed her raincoat and jumped into her little boots. He leaned over to Asgore a bit with a sad smile. “I suggest a little bit of burn cream and supervision would do her good. None of her injuries were accidents aside from the little cuts on her feet, so she’ll need as much emotional support as she does physical.”

With a nod from the ex-King of monsters, Tukker gave Fate a smile, gaining a smile in return, and left the room. Asgore let out a sigh and stood back up, glad that the young girl had finally calmed down.

“Shall we take our leave?” Asgore questioned, in which the small girl nodded in response, grabbing onto his pant leg with her right paw, stuffing her other paw into her raincoat pocket, a small smile still visible on her face from underneath her hood.

This went better then he could’ve hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our winners are for the OC contest are:  
> @gaytriangle  
> @Treedomy  
> Abi: the one with writers block  
> @CauseICan  
> Lanessa  
> Kalowa


	3. Dr. Abaddon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate has a late night, Flowey has confused suspicions, Dr. Tukker has a very awful nightmare, Asgore is the true Goat Dad, and Fate finally starts piecing together what she escaped the Abaddon for...

The old father clock in the corner of the living room downstairs let out a chime, and then another, and then another, and then another… Night had fallen, wrapping the day in its dark blanket, filling the inky night sky with its specks of light--the sun slowly set against the horizon allowing the full moon to rise to its glorious beauty. The eerie darkness of the night would never escape Fate’s memory, no matter how many times she had trouble sleeping, but still managed, without a nightlight. It was always hard to shove aside the worries corrupting her mind in the middle of the night, but at one point that she remembered, she had once actually stopped everything. Stopped thinking, stopped crying, stopped moving, stopped  **breathing** … if only for just a moment when she was alone at that time. Nothing from her life could touch her. Not a single thing could harm her. And then there she sat in the corner of a cold, concrete room with and uncomfortable springy bed against the wall for her, not wanting to do anything but cry. That’s all she did that night before going to sleep.

But now, her tears were nowhere to be found. Just her thoughts. Just her  **determination** to make things right. She had learned that auto-pilot was the most dangerous mode anyone could slip into, but she didn’t really favor when people knew what they were doing and that it was wrong, but they didn’t feel remorse for their existence or crimes.

The Abaddon was full of those people. Each of them responded in unpredictable ways, each of them with a goal to achieve for the day, but underneath that was free will, the ability to truly choose their path having burned away long ago because they had already made their choice. She always felt claustrophobic there, the panic always rising in her chest because when they moved, she had to as well, and if her feet failed to keep up, she risked being trampled or worse. And in quiet moments, he would come to her, ghost-like, a shadow of who he used to be in order to trick her… and she was just a scared little naive child who completely fell for it. He took advantage of that, too. In the space that was filled with his love, keeping her soul aloft, there ended up being a void so black that no light could penetrate it. It was a wound that could never heald no matter how much salve was poured on.

Oh, yes, the Abaddon was an unforgiving place. Some people are born good and always fight off the bad. Some people are born bad and become good through great effort. Others are born in light and fall to darkness, and others are born in darkness and cannot see the light. Try as you might to believe otherwise, everyone fits into one of those categories. Which one could describe the Abaddon. Good or bad? Light or dark? Run by angels or run by demons?

She knew what it is. Anger, pain, hatred… Yes, that was it. The Abaddon was fire and ash and poison and death. It was only those things and it wanted to be them. Love didn’t exist in the Abaddon. Neither did kindness. In fact, she had only ever seen one smile in there--a smile full of malice and cruel intent. It was all she knew growing up there as a little rat for the people who had only ever known the Abaddon. They were trained to be the perfect kinds of killers. Battle axes, daggers, swords, maces, bows and arrows. Put a weapon in the hands of any one of them and the chances are that they would use it to bludgeon someone to death.

For nearly two decades, he had slaved away, learning ever more imaginative ways to torture and kill. And he enjoyed it, she knew that, because he knew of no other life. She was the rat who knew it all, but she somehow always managed to escape getting the worst kinds of punishments… most of them, at least. He always got around to one, even if it was early in the morning or late at night when everyone else had gone to sleep and no one was even supposed to be working. She figured that was worse, but that was the one thing she didn’t know. She had spent four years there, after all. By some miracle, she was still alive and kicking, most of her scars mental and emotional.

And every night when she’d think about this, Flowey would somehow always be awake at the right time to have nearly the same conversation. Every. Single. Night.

He would ask why she was still up.  
She would tell him that she was thinking.  
He would ask what about.  
She would reply, “The Abaddon.”  
He would ask, “Again?”  
She would give him a nod and roll over to face him.  
He would ask, “What about the Abaddon?”  
She would respond, “Him.”  
He would ask, “Who is “Him”?”  
And she would roll over and go back to sleep.

But tonight… tonight, she didn’t speak of him. She spoke of something not necessarily different, but something she sat up and stared out the window at absolutely nothing to tell the sentient potted plant. She did not use sign language. Her paws remained rested in her lap calmly, intertwined together as she spoke with her soft voice that he would be the first to hear.

“You cannot be full angelic unless you possess the ability to be truly evil. Goodness is a choice. It is feeling the power of darkness and walking the other way, no matter how painful. It is looking in the mirror with open eyes and learning how to change until you love who you are. Goodness is an exercise of in free will. This life will reveal all within you, yet choose wisely the pieces with which you build yourself. All roads back into the light are pain ten fold, your soul a magnifying glass for your guilt. Take heart, be brave, acknowledge and own your capacity for evil--for it is only by the darkness that the brilliance of pure light can shine as a beacon for others. Your destiny is to lead, not from your own demand, but because you are the brightest star in this black night.”

She didn’t say anymore. She lied back down, rolled over, and ended their nightly conversation Flowey didn’t sleep that night, however, not like all the nights before where he had done so a little troubled. He stayed up, thinking and wondering.

It was almost like reality was breaking in a way.

 

* * *

Rubbing his tired eyes with the inside of his palms, Dr. Tukker’s eyes were dry from staring at all of the signatured papers scattering his desk. Twirling the straw in the empty disposable coffee cup, he wished that he hadn’t downed the crappy beverage, because he now sat in the dark corner of the room, hidden and preventing unwanted light from invading his sight. Raking his fingers through his tossed and tangled fur, he took a deep breath to avoid losing his cool. Instead, he set his head on the cold desk to rest, shutting his eyes just to rest them as well.

However, when he lifted his head again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place that seemed to call out to him as something he should know. The room was small and square, with two plastic chairs, a table, and an empty water dispenser--how he knew that it was empty, he was unsure. The window was cracked, allowing a faint but pleasant smell of moisture into the room, and the walls were a creamy white, yet unbearably blank with the corners curling inward where the cheap wallpaper was beginning to peel and rot. The light outside… There was none. He was just in one of the chairs, his body very tense and uncomfortable, his tongue begging for a drink of water, his fingertips moist with sweat, and his throat grossly tight and sticky with fear. He moved nothing but his eyes, his mind racing while very muscle stood rock still, and there seemed to be nothing but his own heartbeat and rancid breath.

Then, the door behind him opened, and then clicked shut.

Yet, when Dr. Tukker finally turned to see who had entered, the scenery changed so mysteriously, and he was up on his feet. He had underestimated the utter blackness of the night in the woods. In his mind, the trees would be black trunks against the bluish charcoal sky, the path would become the deepest brown, and the moonlight would bleach the stones within it. Hadn’t every painting of the woods at night been like that. Even if there was a moon that night, its silvery rays would not penetrate the dense canopy above. He was too far in to turn back, the twilight he had mistaken for night had passed rapidly, and it could be no blacker in a coffin, six feet under and piled with dirt. He began to breathe in the cool air more rapidly, the darkness pressing in on him from all sides and everything screaming, begging, for him to run.

So he did.

He took off into the still of the night, constantly tripping over roots and tumbling through the dirt whenever he wasn’t getting smacked in the face by the branches reaching out to grasp onto something, anything, just to get him to stop or slow down or anything. Whether they wanted him to get caught by whatever made the footsteps following behind him or simply wanted help to escape themselves, he felt so very guilty that he couldn’t pause to figure it out. He would never know.

He then let out a strangled scream, feeling the blood well up in his throat from the tongue he had just bitten through in a vain attempt to keep quiet, staring down while a numbing, yet searing pain rushed through his right knee. Even in the dark, he could see the dark crimson of blood seeping out and over the muddy ground. Since when had it been raining? Nevertheless, despite his injury, he just got this overwhelming feeling that he had already wasted too much time. He couldn’t stay here. He had to keep going. The edge of the forest was right ahead…

And when he got there, he sat straight up back in his office with a gasp because no matter how strange, he  **knew** . He knew what that had been. He knew where he had been. He knew whose shoes he had been in. Grabbing at his phone, he carelessly and quickly smashed in the numbers for the household the dreamer had come from. She had shared. She wanted to talk.

It seemed that he would be having a long appointment with Fate Dreemurr today.

 

* * *

Fate sat on the comfy cushioned couch across from Dr. Tukker, who was sitting in a comfortable-looking leather armchair. But it was still quite warm outside, so how comfortable could it really be? She picked at the bandages covering the lower half of her arms as her sapphire blue eyes peered into Dr. Tukker’s bright green ones, which did so into hers as well. Asgore waited outside, since Dr. Tukker wanted to talk alone. She knew why. Asgore was only here because she needed a guardian with her and he came with the first time, so it felt natural to her to have him take her there again.

_ What do you want to know? _ Fate asked before pushing herself up to be as confident as possible.  _ And don’t be vague with any details. I wasn’t. _

“... Fate, I want you to know that I’m a therapist as much as I am a doctor. I trained in all fields.” Dr. Tukker started, gaining an interested nod from the young girl. “I want you to keep in mind that whatever happens, whatever is said in this room… it stays in this room unless you give me permission to tell your guardians or you tell me something beyond simply worrying, such as something life-threatening.”

_ Okay. Go nuts. _ Fate told him with a soft smile.  _ I was raised to believe in the power of bonds. _

“That’s very neat.” Dr. Tukker commented before pausing and then taking a deep breath. “... Your name is Fate Dreemurr currently because you’ve labelled yourself as Fate and the Dreemurr’s are taking care of you. Everything else is… unknown. Would you mind sharing some things? Where did you come from, your birthday, maybe a… given name, or a legal surname?”

There was a pause, in which Fate stared ahead, straight at him, and then lifted her little paws to speak.

_ I used to have a different name, associated with rain, because I was born on a rainy day and my personality matches that of the pleasant or wild drops.  I don’t use that name anymore… I used to have a different family, too, but I’m… I’m not sure. My middle name  _ **_is_ ** _ Casmyr, though. _ She dropped her paws for a moment before raising them again, her eyes flicking towards the ground and then back up towards him.  _ I’m not going to let out my old name. It’s quite dead, much like my family might be. The Dreemurr’s are what I have now.  _ She paused for a quick moment before continuing.  _ And I’ve already said. I’m sure Mr. Dreemurr already told you. I come from the Abaddon. _

“And this Abaddon…” Dr. Tukker picked up immediately, writing down the notes like a rabbit rushing to get carrots before the farmers can put them in a basket and carry them away. “What is it like?”

There was another pause and then Fate gave a slightly smug smile, clutching at the bottom of her raincoat as she averted her eyes for a moment, and then gave him a sincere look--one, surprisingly somehow, that looked so hopeless and yet so hopeful at the same time.

“... I think you know…” She mumbled softly, bringing his fast writing hand to a slow stop as he took a breath. After a moment, he put his pencil down, and he leaned forward in his chair.

“... Magic?” He questioned quietly, in which she shrugged a bit, bringing her paws back up.

_ It’s something I learned, but it takes a lot of power out of me. _ Fate explained with a slightly sour-looking face, making Dr. Tukker nod with a slight sigh.

“... What’s your birthday, can you share?” He questioned yet again, trying his damnedest to change the subject. Fate shrugged a bit.

_ August 7th. _ She responded, in which Dr. Tukker picked up his pencil once again and started writing his notes to keep up with the conversation.

“Tell me about your interests, such as likes and dislikes.”

_ I like to read. I like music. I don’t like spicy food or when people yell at me. I also have a liking for animas, not like our kind, but actual non-humanoid animals. They’re relaxing. _

Dr. Tukker wrote the information down and gave her a nod, taking another deep breath to try and think.

“... You’ll be going to school soon, correct?” Dr. Tukker questioned, watching as Fate gave him a nod. “Do you have a plan or are you just going to drop in?” Fate paused for a moment before shifting to the edge of the cushioned couch to speak.

_ If you mean about the Abaddon, I’m not going to tell anyone. They all think it’s a children’s story and Chara’s already suspicious enough, I think… _ Fate told him, pausing for a moment so he could register her signing and then continuing on.  _ I only showed you what I thought you could handle. I also don’t want anyone mysterious knowing things they shouldn’t. I just figured that I should have someone to talk to, you know? Other than Flowey, I mean… _

“That’s a good thing. Accepting that talking to someone would give you more sense of comfort and seeking help is one of the first steps of… well, getting help.” Dr. Tukker explained, in which she sighed a bit and gave an immediate nod. She knew that already. She had heard it before, but in a different aspect. “... Fate, the thing about mental illness is that sometimes it comes out of experiences…” Dr. Tukker put aside his pencil and his notebook, leaning forward once again. “And in order for me to understand… would you please talk to me about the Abaddon? About…  **you** ?”

There was a pause before Fate raised her little paws, taking a deep breath for one of the first times since she had entered his room that day.

_ I was born in a village on August 7th, underground where the rest of the monsters came from… _

 

* * *

Asgore showed the kind of gentle concern that Fate could remember from a long time ago, long before the time she spent in the Abaddon, when hours had passed and she was finally escorted out into the waiting room with Dr. Tukker right behind her, seeming much more relaxed than he had been earlier. She seemed to be much more open as well, unless that was just his mind playing tricks to try and get him to speak to her. He laid his hand lightly on her shoulder, and instead of her flinching like she usually did, she actually seemed soothed by it. He left his hand there and spoke to Dr. Tukker with such a soft voice that she felt as if his words were calming her more by the way they were said than the actual words. She felt as if she was wrapped in a blanket of care--something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

One thing Asgore knew for sure despite not knowing much about the little girl, however, was how much she adored car rides, especially when they had to go along a highway. Even when, that day, it was such a rainstorm that one had to wonder if they really wanted to drive or not. He had to in order to get back and forth, so it didn’t matter to him. He liked to drive. It got his mind off of many things that were troubling him. The wind pushed on the car to no avail because they were going forwards and nothing but a blessed tragedy could change that. The tires made their monotonous hiss over the rain-washed highway and the air that made its way through the filters waas meadowsweet. If you closed your eyes, you could feel that up and down of the car wheeling over bumps on the road.

And then, from behind them quickly swerving back and forth, was a sudden blast from a siren and a police cruiser appeared right beside them, the red and blue lights flashing brightly in the still gathering gloom. The light were a little more than smudgy illuminations in the slanting rain, but beneath their glow was the white bodywork of a police car. It’s yellow-white headlights spotlight the dense road ahead and the officer inside swerved around them--Asgore having to hit the brakes in order to let her past them. The officer stuck an image in Fate’s head, though. Something she remembered seeing…

Back in the Abaddon. That dirty blonde, nearly brown, shoulder-length hair that waved over a pair of slender shoulders and a pair of dark blue eyes that almost looked gray… She was part of a plan. Fate was, too, but to know that the plan included a person of the Ebott Police Department…

Things were much more serious than she had originally thought. This wasn’t just a plan or a fight…

This was a  **war** .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have chosen the winners for the OC contest!! There are six of you and I'm very excited to do my best with writing with your characters!!
> 
> Okay okay okay, so the winners are!!:  
> @gaytriangle  
> @Treedomy  
> Abi:the one with writers block  
> @CauseICan  
> Lanessa  
> Kalowa
> 
> Congratulations to you all, and better luck next time to those who didn't get chosen!! ;)  
> Considering that, the OC contest is obviously now closed! Thank you for your cooperation and entries, and congrats to our winners, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!!


	4. School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate starts her journey of education and learns right away that school is a deep hole of regret. She's also quite observant, and the PTA is pits, tits, ass.
> 
> Also, there's a deeper story behind all of this that Fate barely realizes herself. Have fun :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter yet, but it won't be the longest chapter ever. At least, I don't think so. Dont' quote me on that, but also trust me on that. Yikes.

What Fate didn’t understand was why school had to start so early in the cold as all Alaska morning. No one’s brains started up properly until about 10am, so scientifically, school started too early to be any more productive than scrolling through TV channels at midnight. Nonetheless, she was pulled out of bed and forced to start her day far too early for her fragile little body, barely getting through breakfast without falling fast back asleep. She was grateful that, to make up for the sudden doctor’s appointment, Toriel had let her tag along for some shopping that turned into her getting school supplies and a bunch of clothes that would fit her nicely and fit her sense of style, whatever that was.

And today, her sense of style just happened to be a dark gray, long-sleeved shirt with pairs of red stripes going all the way down it, a pair of baggy blue jeans that were ripped up a bit at the knees, a pair of dark green socks that she had rolled down once from the top, and a pair of little black boots with a big, baggy green army-looking jacket. It covered her paws besides the tips of her fingers and it was warm enough for the autumn weather that was rolling in, yet not too heavy that she would be sweating inside the school building, heated or not.

She had packed her bag the night before with pointers from Frisk and yet, she still found herself going over everything multiple times so she didn’t forget anything, and  **then** she pulled her dark brown messenger bag over her little head, letting it rest on her shoulder and at her hip as she pulled her hood over her head with a little difficulty, courtesy of her ears. Grabbing Flowey from the side table without much difficulty, giving him a happy grin, he merely rolled his eyes as she went rushing down the stairs quickly so she wouldn’t have to be called for. They could all drive to the school in one car and be there on time if they were all at the door in the next couple of minutes, so Chara was the one being called down after they had rushed upstairs to grab their backpack.

Not even a minute later, they were all rushing out the door with anxiety and excitement bubbling in their souls.

 

* * *

**Willow Creek Elementary, Room D11 -- Ms. Liliana Cotler’s 3** **rd** **/4** **th** **Grade Classroom**

With a deep breath and a heavy sigh, Fate entered the classroom with the intense atmosphere of a crackling light bulb, ready to either set everything on fire or explode or just… continue flickering, maybe. She immediately put her head down to avoid any eye contact and rush to the back of the classroom, taking the sat by the window so that she could stare out of it and just forget why she ever wanted to come to school. This was a social anxiety nightmare and she hadn’t even conversed with anyone, and honestly, she didn’t plan to unless necessary and/or if they knew sign language.

And about fifteen minutes later, the bell rung to signify the start of class, making her squeak a little bit as she grabbed onto Flowey’s pot, a little worried that he might be confiscated or something of the sort. However, the teacher simply stood at the front of the class with a prize-worthy smile and noteworthy  **patience** that made Fate respect her almost instantly. She seemed… a bit too cheerful, but Fate would rather have a cheerful teacher than a teacher who confiscated Flowey or forbid sign language. She had heard the whisperings from Frisk and Chara, and apparently this was Ms. Cotler’s third day as a teacher here because the old teacher quit, having given some of them quite a hard time. The poor woman stumbled around searching through a mountain of papers before finally finding the attendance list, which made Fate sink down in her seat as Ms. Cotler started talking.

“As per usual, we’ll call names first. If you hear your name, please say something. Anything that comes to your mind, or just a simple “here”, or just raise your hand!” Ms. Cotler nearly pleaded with the class before adjusting her rectangular-shaped glasses and propping them further up her nose so that she could see and read better.

Fate was ready for death to embrace her and only listened to a handful of the names being called out.

“Cass?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs!” A feminine voice rang out from Fate’s right, making the entire class burst into giggles while she sat up just to examine the girl. To her surprise, this girl was one of her kind, a small cat monster, but her fur was a dark chocolate brown and her eyes were a brilliant hazel specked with lovely greens. She wore a dark beige dress with a little brown belt around her torso, a pair of black leggings, a pair of little brown boots that were done up with velcro, a barely noticeable bronze-colored necklace with a sun-shaped pendant and some very colorful bracelets.

“Destiny?”

“Keep calling and you won’t follow yours.” A masculine voice said from straight beside Fate, making her jump and yet sink into her chair again, just a little bit. As some of the kids snickered, she felt the shame rising in her throat as she peered over at him, finding him to be sharing a smug glance with Cass. He was one of her kind, too. He had simple, brightened green fur that seemed to be all shades of the standard color at once ad yet it wasn’t, and his eyes nearly matched Cass’, but they were brighter… much more optimistic, more hopeful, more open-minded about the world around him. He wore a bright green, blue and white patterned short-sleeved flannel, a black long-sleeved shirt underneath it, a pair of baggy black cargo shorts, and a pair of black and white runners done up with velcro, much like Cass’. It was fairly safe to say that they were most likely siblings.

“Um… Fate..?  **Oh** , our new student, I completely forgot! How ironic, second after Destiny! Fate?”

A moment passed before Fate was able to slightly raise her right paw, her left one remaining hidden in her sleeve while her arm wrapped around Flowey’s pot and pulled him closer, and Ms. Cotler gave her a huge, soft smile and welcomed her, which kept her from screaming and running under all the attention the class was giving her. Upon noticing how uncomfortable the young monster was, Ms. Cotler quickly moved on.

“Aaron?”

“I-I’m here…” A small, mikado yellow furred cat monster responded, making Fate hold her breath and wonder if something was going on with her species. Not that she would really know… Aaron had soft, yet dull, seal brown eyes that seemed to want to see the best, but always picked up the negative. He wore a dark purple t-shirt with a long-sleeved black and blue striped shirt underneath it, a pair of slightly baggy, mostly skinny, black jeans that had small rips in them, a pair of black and red running shoes with triple-knotted neon green laces, and a plain red bandanna wrapped tightly around his neck, but not too tightly, that seemed old and worn-in.

“Keisha?”

“My Dad got me a gift card for Tiffany’s, so I’m going on a shopping spree after school today with Jaylynne!” A human girl bragged from Fate’s left, luckily not right beside her. She was an Asian girl with long, straight black hair, dark brown eyes, and wearing so much pink and frills as if it was fashionable to do so, with her face caked in makeup as if it was appropriate to do so at her age. She had probably done it by herself since her lipstick went past her lips and her eyeliner looked like it had been done with a dying sharpie, not to mention that her jewellery seemed to be so shiny that it might as well have been fake or too expensive for her to own. Her parents either didn’t think, didn’t care, or couldn’t control her. Fate was going to think that it was all three, honestly.

“Chandler?”

“I’m much more here than Keisha’s sanity.” A young boy… girl… boy stated from beside Fate, adjusting his baseball cap with his curly brown hair stuck out the hole in the front. Keisha gasped dramatically in shock and then scoffed angrily as she flipped her hair and crossed her arms over her non-existent chest. The boy looked quite feminine, but Fate could tell that this was indeed a male whether he just felt it or actually was, and his eyes were a complex hazel that shined with pride over the laughing students and the offended Keisha. He was wearing a big, baggy black and white baseball jacket with “Chandler 777” written on the back of it in white letters, a blue shirt with the picture of a Rubik’s cube on it, a pair of slightly ripped up dark blue jeans that were rolled up to just above his ankles, and a pair of black and white running shoes. She didn’t miss sight of his mismatched socks and colorful bracelets, and his little necklace that consisted on a single small golden bell as the pendant.

“Adianna?”

“Currently living.” A pale ivory-skinned girl responded simply, leaning back in her chair. Her hair was dyed a pure pitch black with pale blue highlights and her eyes were a simple almond brown, her clothing consisting of a dark blue t-shirt, a black skirt, a pair of black leggings, a pair of white and light gray striped socks, and a pair of black flats. She just seemed… too simple, almost like she was hiding something, but Fate wasn’t just about to go digging her nose through other people’s business.

“Shavon?”

“Still at home in my bed, in my imagination.” The pale ivory-skinned boy responded, making the whole class laugh. Keisha laughed obnoxiously loud and it seemed quite forced, almost as if she was begging for him to notice her, but he didn’t even bat an eye in her direction. His hair was the same pure pitch black with pale blue highlights and the simple almond brown eyes as Adianna, probably pointing towards the fact that they were most likely a pair of twins. He wore a dark gray jean vest, a dark blue t-shirt, a pair of black jeans, and a pair of surprisingly white running shoes, covered in dirt and grass. He seemed a little too simple as well, but not as much as his sister did.

“Jaylynne?”

“I’m going shopping with Keisha!” A girl squealed, seeming to force her excitement and yet keep it levelled at the same time. Her hair was a pure dark brown and her eyes were a pure chocolate brown, covered by a pair of rounded black glasses, and her clothing consisted of a black jacket, a bright pink shirt, a bright purple mini-skirt, a pair of black leggings, and a pair of black flats with little white bows on them. Fate wondered how she survived with Keisha, but at the same time, she wondered if Jaylynne had ever spent time away from the seemingly… overly rich girl.

Nonetheless, Fate was already filled with anxiety.

 

* * *

In a pink strapless cocktail dress made of silky black fabric with heels too tall to even make sense sat Linda Binchdt, her dark ivory shoulders exposed and her platinum blonde hair draped over her shoulders as if it had been commanded to do so, despite only just reaching them. Her lipstick was almost as red as blood against her skin tone and her nails were a polished iridescent blue to match her firm gazing eyes. She sat at the head of a table with her legs crossed, knee over knee, as if she was waiting for someone high in power--even though she was merely waiting for the new parents of the year. This would be the first meeting, and  **she** was the boss. No one else. Not Diana, not Helen,  **no one** but her. She would correct the faults of this school. Too many monsters were attending and just showing up out of nowhere, but she could fix that. She knew that she could. Her three children were beautiful and obeyed her every word, after all. Monsters couldn’t live up to her reputation.

And here came Helen, long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with a couple of bangs framing her face and hanging erratically around her forehead, and her bright baby blue eyes that took so much attention away from Linda. But Bill chose her in the end, and Helen was left alone with her daughter that wouldn’t go anywhere successful in the end because she only had one parent. Helen had broken God’s rules, and yet, Linda was merciful to her and continued being the friend of that brainless woman who always carried around to many papers and files and books that she couldn’t keep her hold on them most of the time.

Then came Diana with her horrible pixie cut of bright brown hair and plain dark brown eyes, and far too much jewellery that her husband, Carter, had probably bought her in apology for something their stupid daughter Carol had done. Carol always went out of her way to mess up her Mother’s day, after all, while Ashley kissed ass behind all of their backs. Diana didn’t know and didn’t listen. She didn’t need to know anyways. She would find out at the worst time and then, that would be her downfall.

Then came in David and Vinnie Jekyll. Mr. and Mrs. high school sweethearts, king and queen of prom, voted best couple in the yearbook multiple times. It was bullshit considering how much weight David had gained since the pair had married, and how petite yet still enthusiastic beyond proper recognition Vinnie was. They had one single son, Kyle, who was a little rule-breaking brat and probably wouldn’t get anywhere in life, but that was besides the point. David was a hefty, slightly muscular man with pitch black hair and dull-as-his-brain brown eyes, while Vinnie had simple long brown hair that she pulled into a braid all of the damn time--and she had bright, piercing green eyes that got her voted most beautiful girl in the yearbook multiple times even with Linda on the list. And Linda hated it. Linda hated her, and her husband, and her son. The Jekyll family would be six feet under before they even knew what hit them, she was sure of it.

Then came Frank and Gloria Morris, an asshole and a slut in one. Linda pretended to be Gloria’s friend, but that Morris woman always got drunk off her feet with horrible hangovers following, and their two sons were not much better. Jericho was an honor student despite his lousy appearance, lisp-like voice, and terrible small shenanigans, while Joshua was far too feminine past their gazes that it disgusted Linda. What did Joshua think he was--a  **girl** ? He needed to have a doctor’s check-up and have his facts put straight or else Gloria would end up with a dysfunctional boy.

And  **oh god** , let’s not get started on Rebecca Rose! Or “Becca”, whatever it was. She had a dysfunctional child, and at such a young age! How could she support that her daughter Charlotte was now wanting to be a boy by the name of Chandler? She even changed his name in the system! How could the principal accept that!? Charlotte was nine years old. It was merely a phase. Rebecca would come to understand that and hopefully, her other daughter Maggie wouldn’t end up the same way. It was  **gross** , her letting her nine year old be that way. She was going to grow up like that and then fall out of God’s hands! God created Charlotte to be Charlotte,  **not** “Chandler”. Then again, Rebecca herself was a fucking  **mess** . Her husband left because she vaccinated Charlotte into being Autistic! That’s probably why she thought she was a boy and not a girl! Her husband was the man among men, and once Maggie was born and Charlotte was diagnosed as Autistic, he left merely a year later because Rebecca apparently divorced him. Truth must be that he walked out because of her troubled child, right?  **Right** ? Rebecca was just a nurse. She wasn’t fit to be a Mother. She was just a dark brown haired, dark browned eyed woman with no sense of anything good to do but be a nurse. Not even a doctor, a  **nurse** .

And, oh God, here they came… those damned monsters who thought they could be just like humans. They were  **monstrosities** and they  **belonged** underground!

In came that goat monster who thought she was a perfect Mother to her two human children who always begged for attention with their “special snowflake” acts, and that stupid skeleton who always came with her a slept through the meetings, so he had no reason to come! And, oh God, they had a third child!? A stupid small cat in far too masculine clothing, and with those bandages, they probably beat her or something. Monsters had to have some sort of violent hobby, didn’t they?  **Didn’t they** ? They were  **not** made in God’s eyes! They should be a hundred feet underground, back in their dumb home and dead even then. “Dusted” or whatever the hell they called it. How could people even except this!?

In any case, the meeting was going to start soon, and she was the boss. No one went against her word. She had important things to discuss this year,  **very** important.

And fifteen minutes later, she called every to a silence, sending the kids off to go and play while the adults talked. Putting on her most fake, brightest smile, she greeted everyone sitting at the… well, round table. It was round. How stupid. She wore her best purple eye shadow for this... 

“Hello everyone, good afternoon!” She greeted cheerfully, fakely of course, and then continued on as she looked around the table. “I can see that we have some new members here, so let’s start with introducing ourselves!  **I’ll** start!” No objections. Perfect, just like she planned. “My name is Linda Binchdt! I’m the head president of the PTA for  Willow Creek Elementary ! My husband, Bill, is a pilot, so he’s barely home during the day and all and he travels very far!” She was proud of her husband despite his lack of support due to almost never being home. Bastard. “I have a son in seventh grade, Lucas, and a son in sixth grade, Aiden, and I also have a sweet little daughter who just started kindergarten this year named Melina! I hope we can  **get along** this year!”

She expected applause, but she got none. Diana was on her dumb phone and Helen looked quite zoned out, so she kicked the dark-haired brunette from under the table and gave a sickly sweet smile, obviously quite pissed off. She hoped it was obvious. It would teach Helen to  **pay attention** ! Nonetheless, she smiled towards Diana, kicking the bright brunette haired woman from under the table as well and making her drop her stupid phone, giving her a forceful smile that brought the woman back to the meeting.

“My name is Diana Bredan.” She carried on, bringing Linda to look forward again.  **How in the world** did she end up with these  **idiotic bigots** !? “I’m one of the two vice-presidents of the PTA here at  Willow Creek Elementary . My husband, Carter, is a travelling businessman who works different odd jobs such as being a lawyer or even a travel agent sometimes! I have two daughters--one in seventh grade named Ashley and another who just started high school named Carol. I hope we can work together for the better of our school, **for our kids** !”

Suck up. Moving on…

“Hello. I’m Helen Succorkit, a vice-president of this PTA. I’m divorced from my husband after an incident and I have one daughter named Madison in the fifth grade.” Helen explained simply, giving a short, soft smile before simply stopping. Not much to say.

So everyone moved on despite Linda’s anger towards her second vice-president.

“It’s nice to meet you all! I’m Vinnie Jekyll, here with my husband David who is a pizza delivery driver--it actually pays really good money, like, wow--and I work as a librarian on weekends while on the weekdays, part-time, I work as an author! I’m very close to publishing my first book, actually! We have a son in fifth grade named Kyle who is a sweetheart but can explode at random times, such a handful, but I love him! Thank you so much, I hope we can do good this year!”

Linda’s eye twitched at Vinnie’s overwhelming enthusiasm and screamed inside, glad that Vinnie finally shut up and let them all move on. She was too damn  **loud** , that Vinnie Jekyll. Six feet under, she’d still be talking about how much she loves her family and her jobs.

“I’m Gloria Morris. I work as a receptionist in the capital nearby. I’m here with my husband Frank Morris who is a lawyer most days and works part-time at the local grocery store on other days. I have two sons, one in ninth grade named Jericho who is on the honor roll  **and** the principal’s list with a scholarship being set in place as we speak, most likely, and then the other is named Joshua, who is in sixth grade. He has some catching up to do, but don’t we all?”

Linda almost growled. A lot of people almost growled. Gloria was such a  **royal** **_bitch_ ** . Nonetheless, they carried on until none other than the goat monster who appeared from her prison underground rose up from her seat and bowed politely, ready to speak. Linda swore she wanted to throw her phone across the table, but she wanted to avoid angering the skeleton seated next to the goat. He was someone to be reckoned with besides his napping habits, surprisingly.

“Hello, I am Toriel Dreemurr. I am a teacher for high school students at  Ebott High  for a new subject, Monster History, and while I am married, my husband is not here today. I am here today with four people. One is Sans, the skeleton beside me, who works odd jobs here and there. The other three are adopted children of mine. Chara and Frisk are in sixth grade, both of them working as monster-human relations ambassadors, and Fate, who is new, is in third grade, and she’s quite anxious so may I ask that none of you approach her suddenly? As I said before, she’s en and we don’t know much about her, but she is my responsibility, so it is up to me to insure her safety. Thank you, I hope we can get along this year and work to make this school better for our children.”

Linda rolled her eyes as Toriel took a seat. What kind of names did she think she was giving her “children”? Chara, Frisk,  **Fate** … How utterly stupid! Why in the name of Hell was she a teacher!? Passing Sans, as he had already been introduced (thank God) came none other than Rebecca Rose, who smiled sweetly at everyone around the table.

“Hey, everyone! My name is Rebecca Rose, but you can call me Becca, and I’m divorced from my husband because he’s an asshole, and I have two children! I have a  **son** named Chandler who is in fourth grade and a daughter named Maggie who just started kindergarten! I’m happy to be here for a better future for our children!”

Moving on.

“Hey, my name is Christopher Parker, you can call me Chris. I’m a single Father who works as an engineer, and my daughter Flannery is in the sixth grade this year.” Chris was a man with bright orange hair and simple brown eyes, wearing a dirty white t-shirt an a pair of baggy, also dirty overalls along with a pair of working boots. He looked more like a construction worker, but engineer it is!

“Hello, I’m Eryn Acerbi. I’m a single Mother working as a florist and a herbalist, which keeps me living in a very nice apartment with my two children. My son, Klahan, is in fifth grade and my daughter, Judith, is in second grade.” Eryn had pitch black hair, pale skin, cherry red lips, and beautiful bright blue eyes that made everyone just  **wonder**

“Good day, I’m Albert Bayer, here with my wife Kiara and our two children, Felix and Felicia. Felix and Felicia are in the first grade this year. I work as news reporter while my wife is of independent means, working jobs here and there as she pleases.” Albert had short graying platinum blonde hair and quite some facial hair and an average build, his eyes a dark brown and staring out at the crowd. Kiara has short, straight, light brown hair and large dark brown eyes that matched her husband’s, a little tall in height and a little pudgy in size, but she had a narrow build.

“Good afternoon, my name is Edwin Hofer. My wife, Chelsea, had a business meeting and could not make it, but I am here today with my daughter Keisha, who is in third grade. I work as a businessman myself, but only on weekends and late on weekdays so I can spend time with my precious daughter and my lovely wife, when she is around.” Edwin had short, wavy gray hair and small gray-blue eyes that pierced into each and everyone’s souls. Despite being a little short, he was quite muscular and has a broad build.

“Hello everyone! My name is Hugh Pierce and I’m here with my wife, Imogen, and our daughter, Isabella. I’m a clock maker, while my wife is a meteorologist, and our daughter is in the fifth grade this year. We hope to get along with all of you!” Hugh was a tall, quite muscular man with an average build and curly, graying black hair alongside large hazel eyes that shined with pride. Imogen, on the other hand, had bright, fiery red hair and dark green eyes that made you wonder what Isabella looked like.

“H-Hello there… M-My name is Beatrice Ashe. I’m a nurse. I-I’m here with my daughter, wh-who goes by Fro mostly and is in the s-sixth grade this year… I-It’s lovely to meet you all…” Long and behold, Beatrice was a Pheofrash. She was about 3’8 with dark gray fur and bright blue-green eyes, the ends of her paws and her tail dashed white.

“G-Good afternoon! My name is Hikari Blake and, unfortunately, my husband Dwaine couldn’t make it today… b-but I’m here with my two daughters, Akina and Namine! Akina is in the seventh grade and Namine is in the sixth grade, and I work as a gardener and a part-time cashier at the local grocery store!” Hikari had very long and wavy dirty blonde hair and hazel brown eyes that looked nervous, but bright and strong at the same time. She was tall and quite average, but seemed thinner than an “average” person would.

And with that, it was time to start the meeting. Linda was  **not** going to hold back this year.

 

* * *

Fate sat in the most comfiest beanbag chair she had ever had the pleasure of sitting in with an amazingly large book in her hands that she was sure she was going to borrow from this library tomorrow in order to take it home and read it. Chara explained that to her, which was nice of them. After all,  _ “Great Expectations” _ by Charles Dickens was a very long book, but it was worth it so far. Fate had only ever had one little book to read in the Abaddon for years-- _ ”The Princess and the Pea” _ \--before she finally found her favorite that she wanted to find in a bookstore and actually purchase-- _ “Rebels with Faith” _ . Both were masterpieces in their own. She was really excited to read every single book that she could get her paws on, honestly, and Flowey simply sat by her side in his pot, reading a picture book.

However, Fate found herself being curious, so she peered up to look around the room, her eyes catching sight of many different children… and with some of them, she had that odd, worrying feeling that she recognized, but didn’t want to listen to. The things with the SOULs...

She saw a tall twelve year old boy with dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes playing a game on his phone with a frown--which really seemed to suit him, actually. His SOUL was yellow:  **Justice** . He didn’t seem that justifying, but people tended to grow into their personality traits and show them at the weirdest times. He must’ve been Lucas Binchdt.

Then, she saw a younger boy, about the age of eleven, with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes sitting with Chara and Frisk while they played a game of checkers, a bundle of freckles splashed across his face. He was smiling, seemingly shy, and his SOUL was green:  **Kindness** . He must’ve been Aiden Binchdt.

She spotted a young girl with strawberry blonde hair and hazel brown eyes, the age of five, reading a very funny picture book. It was obvious by how she was giggling every five seconds or less. She had a few freckles as well, and her SOUL was orange:  **Bravery** . She must’ve been Melina Binchdt.

Sitting in another comfy bean bag chair were two kids, Chandler from her class and a young girl with dark brown, wavy hair put up into two pigtails. She was sitting in her brother’s lap as he read to her. They both had freckles, now that she looked closer, and his younger sister, Maggie, was merely five while he was nine. Chandler’s SOUL was purple while Maggie’s SOUL was a light blue:  **Perseverance** and  **Patience** .

In the corner of the room was a boy with curly dark brown hair, nearly black, and bright green eyes, a couple of freckles spreading across his nose. He looked to be about ten, albeit he was tall for his age. He was by the window, using a lighter to burn pieces of paper he had in her pocket before throwing them out the window so nothing would catch on fire. His SOUL was a light blue:  **Patience** . He had to be Kyle Jekyll.

With bright brown hair in a half-ponytail and beautiful blue eyes resembling the shallow edges of the ocean, at the age of ten, there was Madison Succorkit. Her SOUL was a dark blue:  **Integrity** .

A pair of sisters aged around thirteen and twelve, both with dark black hair and dark brown eyes, sat across from each other at the only table in the room, each of them on their respective phones. Carol and Ashley Bredan, huh? Carol’s SOUL was yellow and Ashley’s SOUL was a dark blue:  **Justice** and  **Integrity** .

On the other side of the room, reading the same book separately, were a pair of brothers, aged fourteen and eleven. The older one wore black glasses and had a darker complexion with a slightly uneven face, his front teeth hitting his lower lip as he talked because they were there naturally. He wore a pair of dark gray sweatpants and a lighter gray of a sweater, his hair a dark brown that looked black from certain angles and his eyes a dark brown. The younger boy was much more simple, yet more feminine with his blues and purples he was wearing, and his dark brown hair was a little brighter with his eyes being a dark gray-blueish-green. Jericho and Joshua Morris. Jericho’s SOUL was purple and Joshua’s SOUL was orange:  **Perseverance** and  **Bravery** .

There was a girl with long, bright orange hair and bright blue eyes, her face adorning very few freckles and a button nose, and her skin was almost as pale as snow. Fate was sure that she was Flannery Parker. Her SOUL was a dark blue:  **Integrity** .

There was a boy, reading a picture book, with large eyes the color of smoke, and his luxurious, curly red hair was worn in a style that reminded her of a drifting cloud. Even as a youngster, he had an over muscled build, and his skin was cream-colored, while his wardrobe was odd with a lot of white and brown. There was a girl sitting beside him, writing in a journal, with large eyes that were like two chunks of lapis lazuli. Her thick, wavy, chestnut hair was shoulder-length and was worn in a style that would remind you of the aurora borealis, while her skin was just a little more tanned than the boy’s. She was short and had a lithe build, and her face, along with her brother’s, was  **full** of freckles. Klahan and Judith Acerbi, green and yellow SOULs:  **Kindness** and  **Justice** .

There was a young boy with beige eyes and long, thick, straight jet black hair that was was worn in a weird, carefully-crafted style. Had had a graceful build, light-colored skin, and his wardrobe was bizarre with a lot of gray and yellow. Then, there was a young girl with the same appearance, but a much more classy and neat style of hair and wardrobe, adorning too much pink for Fate to comprehend. Both of their SOULs were a light blue:  **Patience** .

There was Keisha, without Jaylynne and typing away on her phone that she honestly shouldn’t have been able to have at her age, while loudly chewing a piece of gum. Fate had seen a package of Hubba Bubba or whatever it was in the girl’s bag earlier, and could now see that her SOUL was a light blue as well:  **Patience** . It was a wonder.

There was a girl with long, wavy cinnamon brown hair and chocolate brown eyes covered by a large pair of round, black-rimmed glasses, her face adorned with freckles and a cute dimple in her left cheek that appeared whenever she smiled. She was constantly doing so little by little at the moment while using one of the library’s computers, and her name was Isabella Pierce. Her SOUL was yellow:  **Justice** .

Approaching Chara and Frisk, and their friend, was one of her own kind: a Pheofrash. This Pheofrash had gray fur, much like hers but a little darker, a gray-green eyes with freckles that blended into her fur and a pair of sharp fangs that had probably only just grown in. On the top of her head, she had a big bundle of black curls that fell halfway over her right eye and over her forehead fully, and she wore a big, over-sized as all heck sweater that was black with red and green stripes and a blue out-lined yellow star just above her chest. That must’ve been Frostbite Ashe, or Fro as Frisk said. A good friend. Her SOUL was the plain old white that monster’s usually had.

In a corner of them room with a deck of cards was a girl with long, braided, very dark brown hair that seemed almost black and icy blue eyes that stood out due to her dark hair, but her skin was much like Flannery’s, nearly as pale as snow. Her sister was entirely different from her, like they were two sides of some different coin, with long bright blonde hair that rested over her right shoulder and blues eyes that could remind you of the ocean, and while Akina Blake wore black, Namine Black wore white and blue and had little orange flowers on her sandals that she seemed to have refused to take off today, hinted by the socks she was wearing with them. Their SOULs were orange and a light blue:  **Bravery** and  **Patience** .

Fate wasn’t sure why she was so interested, but it clicked in her head as she peered back down at the book in her little paws. She already knew some of them, and not just because Chara and Frisk had told her or warned her all about them… She had seen pictures of them before, descriptions of them,  **posters** of them…

Back in the Abaddon.

Everything was piecing together and before she knew it, she had pulled her hood over her head and had forgotten about the book in her lap, merely using it as an excuse to not be talked to as her train of thought pulled into its station. There was  **definitely** more to the Abaddon than what she had realized and now that it was all clicking together, she  **really** didn’t know what options were better or worse… some of them weren’t even present, but they could’ve been in town by now… Maybe she just had to not think about it. Maybe she just couldn’t ever let them know. Maybe she just had to go and sit with Chara and Frisk and their friends and forget that the Abaddon ever existed.

That last one, maybe not so much… but the others, those sounded pretty swell, especially that third one. Go sit with her siblings… She forgot how much happiness it brought her to think of something like that…

 

* * *

“Alright, now let’s get into the vaccinations for this year.”

PTA meetings were full of insufferable, bitter gossip about other parents, about the monsters, and about the children. Each of them had to promise not to smack the other’s heads together, but it was becoming a rather hard promise to keep. Thankfully, this meeting was almost over.  **Thank God** for that.

“They’ll be coming in late October before Halloween, but…” Linda trailed off, clapping her hands together expectantly. She let the pause carry out through the air before she just spat out what she wanted to ask, quite frustratingly. “... Do monsters need to be vaccinated!?”

Many people seemed to choke on their own saliva and when she got no answer besides many looks, she gave a nod and sighed, crossing off the last thing on their list. No squashing today, it would seem… How off…

“Meeting dismissed! Thank you all for coming, we’ll meet here next Monday at the same time.”

And so, everyone got up and went to go for their children before taking their leave. How odd was it that nothing had gone wrong for once at one of these meetings?

The answer was very odd, but not as odd as some minds.

And even from the other side of town, many of them could feel it. A change in the atmosphere… the feeling of  **something** just waiting to explode into a million pieces and crash down on top of them. What mattered with the process of saving the world was not how fast they got there, but that they kept on moving in the right direction. Of course, speed was a virtue when it can be done safely, but never sacrifice the mission for just one goal. Together, things would make sense.

Something was coming, and yet, no one listened to their guts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY IT'S ALL GOING TO SHIT!!!


	5. Ruin the Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a look into the Abaddon, something important and a little bit into Fate's mind. We see Dr. Tukker again and he's as believing as always, but even if he believes, that doesn't mean that anyone else does.
> 
> And then there's the start of something big.

_ Death wasn’t kind. It snatched where it could, taking people who were far too young, far too good… It didn’t pretend to care and it didn’t pretend to distinguish. The hooded vale of death always hung over the Abaddon ever since it was born. Death ripped away at everyone there--the parts they loved most. Now, some of the captives would sit for hours, just staring at the walls or the floor. Their faces were all sunken and haunted, their minds most likely cold and empty. The more the years went on, the more they all melded into the Abaddon. Many were snatched away, and those that were left would wish it was them. The world seemed to have gone cold. _

_ Fate had seen it happen many times. _

_ In a cell nearby, she could hear the gasping breath of someone in the same situation as her, but she knew that nothing would go to them. She could hear them choking on their own dry tongue, whoever they were, and she couldn’t help but curl up in the corner of her cold, dusty cell-space. There was barely any air down here and, in a lack of oxygen that descended on the mind in a panic, the person nearby sucked in another breath, their lungs probably burning with a ferocity that might have just consumed them. And, within the next couple of moments, another heartbeat ceased, another mind gave a final sigh, and another SOUL simply broke into pieces. Then, there was nothing more of the person nearby besides their corpse that must’ve already started to slowly rot. _

_ She covered her ears, her claws digging into her head a little bit yet not enough to hurt her, and she took a deep breath, still as scared out of her mind as the first day she was pulled into this hellhole. They would be coming for the body sooner than later, she knew that. They say a man who lives fully is not afraid of death and yet, none of them had lived fully, and they were not afraid of it. In fact, they found it intriguing. She couldn’t understand them. It like they were… demented scientists, but much worse. She didn’t know what to call them. This was the Abaddon, after all. _

_ Fear is a ubiquitous as sunlight on the old, cracked streets outside her home that she remembered all so clearly. Being scared is so normal, so inescapable, that it’s ignored by the majority and crumbling is pillored as a weakness. The strangest thing that she had witnessed, however, was that the rare ones who got out fell apart anyways, as if the sudden release of pressure did more harm than good. She was no different. All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for someone to save her, but she knew that no one would, and yet she didn’t let out a choked cry for help that forced itself up her throat like before, but she just felt a drop run down her cheek. Every moment, it seemed as if it would be the end of the road for her… and yet, she was surviving a much bigger fight than many people could ever fear fighting. _

_ And every single time her cell door would open, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She didn’t want to. Everything she saw in the Abaddon was something she could never even fear being in her worst nightmares. At least, only because her brain always woke her up before such a horrific image spread through her mind, but now she was seeing something her eyes wouldn’t ever be able to erase, almost every single day. The absolute horror always paralyzed her, and the more she thought about running away or simply moving a bit, the more she felt discouraged and utterly terrified. _

_ She huddled in the corner, hugging her grazed knees, her hand working back and forth over the newly healed scars on her little feet. She felt like vomiting, but her dry mouth and empty stomach refused to allow her. She was still herself, though… even as she trembled the same way they did in deep winter cold, and even after everything during the hours she was supposed to serve. It had maybe only been a couple of years and yet, she had seen so much… she had  _ **_felt_ ** _ far too much. Usually by now, like all of the others kids, she should’ve gone insane or died from all of the different kinds of pressure, but for some reason, they wouldn’t let her. They kept her alive. Something was wrong with her, or… just right. _

_ Honestly, even with the hope pulling her up ever so slightly, she could feel the sweat drenching her fur, the throbbing of her own eyes, the ringing screams vibrating in her sensitive ears, and the thumping of her little heart against her chest. Her fingers curled into fists, claws digging into her palms, and she couldn’t hear her rapid breathing, but she could feel the oxygen flooding in and out of her lungs. Hesitantly, her eyes looked across her cell, only to see something she most certainly didn’t want to. Fear tortured her guts, churning her stomach in tense cramps. Fear engulfed her conscience, knowing all other thoughts aside. Fear overwhelmed her body, making it drastically exhausted. However, most of all, the fear was making her calm, and that was what scared her the most. _

_ “Come on. Let’s go.” _

_ Listening to his voice was like listening to a low roll of thunder. His words were always soft, but no one ever ignored him, or he would yell… and God forbid that they had sensitive ears. You couldn’t even think, you would just do it. He spoke as if he controlled the world, his experience seeping through, and he could remind you of a stormy day. _

_ “... What do you want now…?” She questioned softly, pulling her knees closer. Had her times been moved? “... It’s not my usual time…” _

_ He went silent for a moment before storming forward, grasping onto her wrist, white-knuckled and strong, and she turned to fight it, but found her feet dragging along the metal floor as she lost her balance. She was the only one who ever questioned him even though it barely ever got her anywhere except right where she was--at the mercy of his harsh grip, being dragged past multiple cells and guards, watching as some of the prisoners shrunk back while they passed by. Much sooner than later, he pushed her into a room and followed in after her, one other person sitting in a chair nearby, and she couldn’t help but keep her head down, her hands to herself, and her lips pursed as she stood there. He locked the door, she could hear it, and she could feel the lack of saliva in her dry mouth now more than ever. _

_ This room was like another prison cell. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling and the plastic chair the other man in the room was sitting on could have been stolen from an inner-city preschool. _

_ “This is her? Seriously, this little runt?” The man asked gruffly, and quite rudely, making her tense a bit. For once, having her usual guy around didn’t seem too bad. At least she wouldn’t be stuck in here alone with this other man that she didn’t know at all. “She probably doesn’t even know what adrenaline is!” _

_ “Adrenaline is activating your sympathetic nervous system, making your heart beat faster, diverting blood to your muscles and away from your gut. Fight or flight, right?” She suddenly blurted out, unable to help herself, and for once… the room went quiet because of her. _

_ She was making them  _ **_think_ ** _. She… actually quite liked that. She couldn’t help but put on a slightly smug smile. After a minute, the man sighed and grabbed a small remote from his pocket, turning to a small, old, crappy TV that Fate hadn’t bothered to notice before. What did they want…? _

_ “The tunnel had been abandoned decades before I was even born.” The usual started explaining as images popped up on the screen, her little eyes squinting to see properly. It had been so long and honestly, she could barely remember the last time she had even seen a TV. How did that  _ **_work_ ** _ down here? “Its brickwork had begun to crumble and its mouth gaped black and dank, and we thought something of it, so we went to go check it out. At first, it was so tense that the silence was as thick as the darkness… then some idiot stumbled on a rock and screamed, causing everyone to laugh uproariously as if it weren’t a dangerous situation.” _

_ Grabbing a couple of chairs, she was oddly offered one and politely accepted it despite her suspicions, the usual took a seat on the chair backwards, messing with a butterfly knife in one of his hands that made her uneasy. She wasn’t sure what she had to do with this. _

_ “Then came a smell so foul, so noxious, that I thought I would choke, so we all diverted back to the safety of the daylight. And then, now here comes the weird part, this red slime ball rolled over the vegetation, leaving only a mud trail behind it and consuming everything in its path. In its wake, it deposited smaller red balls which began to roll after their… “Mother”, devouring and growing. Whichever way we ran, the eyeless creatures would be able to pursue us. By the time we reached the edge of the woodland, the ed balls were too numerous to count and even the “Mother” was growing. Our only hope was to climb trees and pray those beasts couldn’t climb… In which, they couldn’t, thank God.” _

_ “What do you want from me…?” She questioned softly yet again once the usual had finished his explanation of… whatever that thing was. He let out a sigh and shifted, his butterfly knife clicking into place on one of his sharper knives, and he leaned over, pointing the knife at her throat, grinning as she didn’t budge an inch. She was much braver than he had originally thought, it would seem. _

_ “... We want to use you. Your intelligence, your power, your magic, whatever is in there that’s makes you so damn different and special… We want to use it.” He responded honestly, making her grip at the edge of her shorts, her claws scraping her thighs. “No matter what you go through… You always have a damned shred of hope left… and to get what we want, I’m willing to go as far as it takes to  _ **_break you into a million pieces_ ** _.” _

_ She couldn’t help but snicker at his words. She  _ **_knew_ ** _ that they weren’t getting any better. She  _ **_knew_ ** _ that all she was happened to be a little light in their dark world. She wouldn’t let them just take that away. At this point, she thought of telling them to do their worst, to really try and take her hope from her, but she also knew that they didn’t need to be told. _

_ Just when she thought it was all coming to an end, everything started right back up again. _

_ And when she was placed back in her cell again, everyone could feel it. Everyone knew something was off, that something  _ **_big_ ** _ was going to happen. And so, to avoid their fear and despite their dry, scratchy throats, despite their raspy voices… They all hummed. The one thing no one could take from them--their  _ **_voices_ ** _. Their calls into the dark. Their shouts, their yells, their screams. Their voices would remain. _

_ And if their voices could remain, so could they. So… they hummed. _

**_Hmm, hmm, hmm… Hmm, hmm, hmm…_ **

 

* * *

And the truth is on unchangeable reality. It learns who you really are, knows who you were born to be, and for it to drill down into your SOUL, you had to find that lake or pure water that would wash you clean should you truly desire it. Everyone was born to love, their SOULs pure, but they were also free to choose their paths themselves. There was no straying from that path unless you wanted to end up lost and facing the truth, so they stayed along it. What Fate never expected was for words to hurt her so much. It felt like a thousand knives piercing through her heart as the hot tears welled up in her eyes, but no matter how much she wanted to deny it and fight against it, the Abaddon was still real.

Sitting in Dr. Tukker’s office that morning with information being held within her, ready to burst out, was the worst, especially since she knew that she was going to be at school for just after recess. Missing school was okay, but not a favored thing, even for Dr. Tukker. Nonetheless, he welcomed her in for her appointment without so much as a second thought to her odd enthusiasm. When they sat down, he immediately placed his papers to the side and clasped his hands together on his desk, giving her a smile.

“... How is the Abaddon today?” Dr. Tukker asked her, in which she took a moment to think before giving him a shrug.

_ Quiet. They’re probably making preparations. _ She responded with a soft sigh, looking a little worried as she kicked her little legs back and forth.

“Preparations for… what?” He questioned cautiously, but only gained a shrug in response. Dr. Tukker sighed, and than simply grabbed a notebook and a pen. “... Tell me more about yourself. Like the last time, except this time, I’ll be writing. Be as… evasive or detailed as you’d like. I see you every week anyways!” Fate smiled a little bit before trying to think of what to say, and was very grateful that Dr. Tukker helped get the conversation going. “I like your outfit.”

_ Thank you. Ms. Toriel was very kind and took me shopping. _ She responded happily, gaining a smile from Dr. Tukker in return. She knew that he wouldn’t tell anyone about what she said to him, but she was still hesitant about telling him everything… a couple of things couldn’t hurt.  _ … I’ve seen a world unlike any you’ve seen. It’s full of creatures who were in my dreams long before I ended up there. _

“What kind of creatures? Animals or… monster-like creatures, I suppose humans would say.” He sighed, clearly curious.

_ Like… shadows. Not monsters like us at all, but… weird things. Dangerous things. _ She responded very anxiously, making him give a nod as he wrote it down. She continued on when he lifted his head back up to follow her signing.  _ I know a pain like you wouldn’t even dare to believe, and it kind of… rips me apart at the seams. Aside from everything physically, there’s a lot of mental and emotional things that I can’t really talk about just yet, and they keep eating me up from the inside out. _

“.. Like your mental disorders?” He questioned, laughing a bit as she rolled her eyes. That was part of it, but what she meant was the memories of her experiences mostly. They were… awfully messed up. “Take your pills, Fate. They’ll help much more than you might think.” She paused before giving him a nod and he gave her a soft smile. “Please, continue.”

_ … I hear his whispers echo in my mind sometimes. _ She told him, making his face scrunch up with confusion.  _ The usual guy that would come to take me from my cell and back to after… everything they did there. _ He wrote down little notes and she paused to let him do so, and then she continued with a deep breath.  _ I’ve seen the end of a number of lives, and I honestly can’t help but wonder if I caused a few by being so stubborn. I could never tell if the blood on my hands was my own or from someone else, or if I was even still living anymore. I wondered so many times if the Abaddon was actually hell, or purgatory or if I was stuck in a coma, but… I wasn’t. _

“... That’s heavy for an eight year old girl like yourself, mature or not…” Dr. Tukker mumbled, dropping his pen and leaning back in his seat to run his paws over his face with a deep sigh. He wasn’t sure where to take the conversation, but nonetheless, he did his best to continue on. “... How do you feel? That may sound like a stupid question, and maybe it is, but try your best to answer it…”

There wasn’t much of a pause as Fate lifted her little paws to respond.

_ Like a puppet on a string, being taunted and haunted, but it won’t change a thing. Every moment is a perfect one to die because I somehow know that I’m doing the right thing, being free out here, even if they come to try and take me back. Every memory feels like a mystery or a lie and it feels like no one but you trusts me, and the shadows still scare me even though the ones up here aren’t dangerous. _ She explained a little frantically, biting at her bottom lip gently.

“... Anything else?” He asked her, feeling as if there was something she wanted to tell him. “... I  **do** believe you, Fate. It’s hard not to.”

_ … Just beware the shadow’s lies, Dr. Tukker. They’ll surround you, drown you, and bury you alive, but you’ll shake them,  _ **_break them_ ** _ , each and every time you survive. _ She told him with a bit of a frown, but he merely gave her a grin.

“They must hate you, then.” He chuckled, and she knew that he meant it as a compliment. So she gave him a smug grin in return, giving him a nod and making him really wonder about her. Such a young girl with such a troubled past… and yet, she was a beacon of hope.

_ With a burning passion, and even more so because I’m going to ruin the plans that created the Abaddon in the first place. _

 

* * *

Tall, wrought iron gates surrounded the big, mansion-like building. All of the kids out on the old playground wore bleak uniforms, and not much sunlight managed to shine down on them or the building itself. The building’s shingles were termite-eaten and slowly falling off, and all around there were spooky trees that seemed to have never grown leaves despite the leaves scattered about on the ground. It was always that way in the autumn.

With a slight tan and white freckles, there sat a young child who was seemingly feminine with short white hair that was swept to one side, her eyes a sky blue and her height standing at about 4’9”. She was not alone, surrounded by the other kids, but she sat off to the side tinkering with an old video camera, seemingly trying to fix it. It wasn’t as if she was trying to be some sort of outcast or was one, but she was just more interested in this broken camera than in playing on so old playground that could break at any moment. She didn’t want to go to school again tomorrow because she wasn’t having all too good a time in class, but she knew that she’d have to…

“Pogo, come play with us!”

Oh, whatever. She had a new video camera now, after all, and plenty of friends, so she would face every day with as much  **bravery** as necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of shorter chapter, I think, and not as efficient, but we get a look into the Abaddon and a ~new character~! It's really hard to write when you're suddenly thrown into a depressive episode and you've destroyed your life by trying to fix it haha  
> Please look forward to more soon and the introduction of some of your characters asdfghjkl


	6. No Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter consists of:  
> \- a look into Maggie's time in Kindergarten with Melina and a certain pair of twins  
> \- a problematic girl by the name of Keisha who causes fight  
> \- a screaming Ms. Cotler and a laughing Flowey  
> \- more Pogo plus the introduction of Sky, Quinn, Danny and Adar  
> \- a boring class that that grade six's and seven's have to sit through, and the poor grade six/seven teacher  
> \- and the principal's office because Keisha sucks, while somehow Fate doesn't know the boundaries of roasting the fuck out of bullies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.
> 
> Enjoy.

Some teachers were just there for the paycheck, but not Mrs. Greenewell. From the first day Maggie stepped into that classroom, her Mom more scared than her, she knew that she would be okay. Mrs. Greenewell was approaching fifty, but unlike some of her age, there wasn’t an ounce of cynicism about her. Her new wrinkles showed how she smiled and laughed often; her eyes and voice were soft, but with just the right blend of assertiveness and confidence to keep as class in order. From that first day, Maggie was the happiest she had ever been in school before--and she even made friends when they were put into four’s for an art project. Melina’s Mom might’ve been scary, but she wasn’t with her strawberry blonde ponytail and bright hazel brown eyes, including her illuminating smile.

Yes, Melina Binchdt was nothing like her terrifying Mother. Her freckles only made her brighter, while her Mother simply ruled with fear and taught the grade five class, which made Maggie terrified to grow up because Linda was the worst teacher ever. She was more worried about her big brother because he’d be in Mrs. Binchdt’s class a couple of years before her. Melina wasn’t terrifying. Melina was a lovely girl, and a very  **brave** one, too. Maggie wasn’t sure about being brave herself, but she certainly had an abundance of  **patience** .

Nonetheless, having a group of four children working on an art project, a pair of them twins and only one of them a boy, was quite eventful. Including a very good piece of art that would definitely get them a good grade because Maggie was lovely at drawing, it created a very close group of four that Mrs. Greenewell could tell from the other side of the classroom wouldn’t be torn apart so easily.

She was going to have her hands full this year.

 

* * *

If there was one thing Keisha hated, it was getting told what to do. She refused to follow the rules, unwilling to compromise or negotiation, because she would do what she wanted whenever she wanted to do it. She kept getting told that she lost her temper too easily and that she shouldn’t argue or fight, but she would do whatever she wanted, including tripping those who made her look bad. Chandler would never trip over her feet, but Aaron Eve was a totally different story. He would do anything she asked because he was so pathetic that he couldn’t say anything against her, so of course she’d have him do her homework, and he  **would** do it.

However, today was different in a way she could’ve never began to think.

When she went to collect her homework from the lowly monster, it was just as the lunch bell rang, which obviously meant free range to do whatever, but she found him actually sitting with that new girl. Whatever her name was, she was making him think he actually had a friend and that made Keisha mad because that meant he would stop doing her homework. She needed those grades so she could go to modelling camp!! So, she walked straight over to the pair and cleared her throat, smiling smugly when the new girl sunk into her jacket, pulling her knees up to her chest and leaving Aaron to be talked to.

“I need my homework.” She stated simply, watching as the monster went through his bag and finally gave her the piece of paper, which she went to grab.

And then that stupid new girl got in the way, grabbing it instead and standing up as if she had some sort of authority.

“Ex **cuse** me!” Keisha yelled, lurching forward to grab the piece of paper because the monster girl was looking over it, but said girl moved back and brought Keisha to have to go around the desks. This was more work than it needed to be. She simply demanded it. “Give it to me, you freak!”

A moment passed, and then Fate looked up at her from under the jacket hood. Keisha Hofer was a spoiled brat with too much authority, and she knew it, too! Without thinking straight, Fate ended up ripping the paper into pieces, covering her ears immediately because Keisha started shrieking, gaining everyone’s attention. Well, who was left in the room, including Ms. Cotler. No one was prepared for Keisha immediately lashing out and starting a fight, causing Ms. Cotler to have to get up from her seat and rush over, and yet everyone was more surprised at the fact that, with a bloody nose and a small, fragile-looking frame, Fate had pushed the girl into a desk face-first, causing something to crack sickeningly. And then, to top it off, when she wouldn’t let Keisha’s arm go and Jaylynne tried to grab her, she  **spat** at the older girl.

“ **Principal’s Office,** **_NOW_ ** !!”

And Ms. Cotler never screamed at any of her students.

All this happened while Flowey only laughed from his secure spot on Fate’s desk.

 

* * *

If there was one thing Pogo decided that she liked nearly as much as fixing and building things, it would be art. That’s why sitting beside Skyler Palkins was a blessing. Despite the pairs very different personalities, Pogo would always go quiet--a weird feat to accomplish in class when it was free time--upon witnessing Sky’s art, even if all he was to her, and vice versa, was the kid sitting to the side. Everyone in fifth grade remembered how Madison Succorkit used to constantly bug Sky in class and how, in the girl’s bathroom, the orphan girl Pogo Bellatrix punched the other girl in the face for being so mean to a boy who had been homeschooled for the past while. Everyone respected Sky’s art, but not everyone respected him, and even though Pogo wasn’t even friends with the boy, she’d yell at anyone who dared to even be slightly rude to him.

At 4’9” of pure  **bravery** , Pogo Bellatrix was a young girl to be reckoned with.

No one messed with Sky anymore, unless they weren’t aware of what Pogo could do, in which case they would get a full front of pure Pogo. Whenever she wasn’t yelling or occasionally punching people in the face, Pogo was a chirpy and sweet girl who was easy to get along with--aka, the complete opposite of Skyler Palkins. At 5’2”, Sky was a quiet, lone wolf type of boy who had trouble getting along with his peers and teachers no matter what kind of effort was put into a conversation with him.

So imagine the surprise when the cheerful Pogo Bellatrix finally tried to talk to the mysterious Skyler Palkins.

It was break time, just a short half hour of free range, and while watching Sky draw as he always did, Pogo finally found the courage to talk to the boy she had been admiring from afar--in a platonic way, of course.

“I like the way you draw grass.” Pogo complimented, feeling a little bad as she watched Sky jump. The boy barely looked up, but had paused his sketching to register that someone was actually talking to him, and when he continued, Pogo did as well. “It’s not stick-like or triangular. You’re really good.” More silence followed up her sentence, diminishing her hope of having a conversation a bit, but those who knew Pogo also knew that she  **never** gave up that easily. “Did you know that they feature a lot of your art in the art room? And a couple of hallways, some of your art is up on the billboards, did you ever notice? If that doesn’t say something, I dunno what does!”

The following silence was almost nerve-wrecking, heart-breaking, but then a small voice that managed to break through the loud atmosphere of the classroom, making it all the better.

“... Thank you…”

And there sat an unusual pair of students, both with smiles of different sizes on their faces.

Fifth grade wasn’t so bad, even with the very bitchy Mrs. Binchdt, the ever loud Madison Succorkit, and the ever explosive Kyle Jekyll. Being in Linda Binchdt’s class was a nightmare, but also being in the same class as both Kyle and Madison was a good reason to run into the street without looking both ways. Especially today, when Mrs. Binchdt wouldn’t get off her phone or say anything.

To another year of her teaching, the students supposed.

 

* * *

Like every other student, Frisk had their fair share of boring classes; the kind of classes where students fight to stay awake and where the teacher seemed to purposefully try and make their students miserable. Besides chuckling at Ms. Carpenter’s multicolored sweater that she wore literally every day, the only excitement seemed to come from all of the kids waiting for the beautiful resonance of the final words “class dismissed”... or just the bell ringing. As time dragged on, it was obvious that the students were bored to tears and that Ms. Carpenter herself was getting a little tedious with trying to keep up. Some of the kids appeared sedated, slouching in their chairs; others had their heads down. One kid in the front row entertained himself by constantly biting his fingernails. Nobody could sit still in their chair.

There was constant shuffling of movements as the victims of this lecture searched for a comfortable seating position. Not a single pair of eyes were focused on Ms. Carpenter. A few students were busy working on their math lessons or drawing pictures. Frisk had been a part of the drawing group at first, until they ran out of things to draw. Most of the students were just looking around the room aimlessly, searching for something to think about, and there was a large map of the United States that seemed to draw a lot of attention. They found themself staring at random uninteresting things as well, like the metal pencil sharpener that was attached to the wall. In this bored disposition, Frisk imagined that some people were thinking about a relationship, or perhaps their future careers.

Maybe, if they were like them, they were distracted by the thought of cops that might discover the most-likely-illegal parking spot of their bicycle that they had rode to school today simply because they could, and they had wanted to.

Every second seemed to go on forever. Thinking, drawing, and squirming in a chair were little things, but they went a long way in making this class just a little more bearable. Eventually, one of the kids began to shuffle their feet, staring off into space and probably daydreaming of being outside, doing what they felt like doing. Soon enough, fingers were tapping desks and the kid’s fingers were in unison with the rhythm of their feet.

“Hey, Frisk…” A voice from in front of them whispered, bringing their head up to meet the upside-down face of Frostbite Ashe, or Fro, one of their best friends who just happened to be in the same grade as them. “I noticed that you have a new sibling. She kinda looks like me, huh?”

Fro always liked to joke around, but right now, Frisk could honestly see why their friend thought that way. Fate and Fro had a couple of things in common besides their species being the same, such as gray fur and bright eyes--and baggy clothing. Although, Frisk knew why Fate wore baggy clothing, but not why Fro wore it. Nonetheless, they gave their friend a smile and signed in a small range to avoid causing too much of a ruckus.

_ Yes, a little bit. You know, both of your names start with an “F” as well! _ They agreed, causing Fro’s face to light up as she nodded, kicking her little legs quite a bit.  _ I hope she’s having a better time in her class than we are right now. _ Fro scoffed a little bit, crossing her arms over her chest with a nod--which was a little awkward upside-down, but still efficient.

“Grade three or four, right? Man, I loved Ms. Cotler… Her classes were  **never** boring…” Fro sighed before sitting up straight and slouching over her desk.

From beside Frisk, Chara let out a low groan, slouching in their seat and glancing at the clock before giving it a harsh glare that the sibling thought the supposed demon child might’ve smashed it if magic was allowed in class. Nonetheless, Frisk only found themself giggling at their sibling, who glared at them with a slight pout, before the lecture finally subsided.

“And that’s the sum of a very…  **interesting** chapter…” Ms. Carpenter finished with a slight expression of pain and apology, taking a deep breath and brightening up immediately. “Now, for the fun part of this subject! Groups of six--yes, you heard me, six--to work on a project of how you think this could’ve gone differently, or what you would’ve done. All six of you need to come to a diplomatic agreement of sorts before starting to make your poster and presentation and all of that… so! I’ve already put the groups together--” The entire class groaned, and Ms. Carpenter let it pass since there was no point in arguing with this class, after all. “Now, let me read them out.”

As Ms. Carpenter assigned stations and then started putting groups together, Frisk found themself shifting uncomfortably. What if they ended up with someone like Ashley or even Lucas? Oh my gosh, if they ended up with Lucas, they would take a very long bathroom break…

“Frisk’s group--” Ms. Carpenter read out, making the poor child slouch in their chair out of fear of who they’d be placed with. Just please not Lucas, please not Lucas… “Frisk, Chara, Quinn, Fro, Danny, and Adar, please. Settle around the Dreemurr’s desks.”

Oh, thank whatever God was watching over them. Their sibling, their friend, and some pretty cool kids… and  **not** Lucas. Best group project day ever.

Moving desks to sit in groups, everyone settled down and then started to chat… except for Frisk’s group. They wouldn’t let anyone talk until they found their notebook, which was buried deep in their backpack, and had their writing supplies properly placed, which they did so right away. The moment they were ready, they gave a calm smile, and almost immediately Fro slammed her paws onto her desk.

“June could’ve not been a decisive shit!” She yelled, causing abrupt laughter to ring out through the classroom as Ms. Carpenter shook her head, writing Fro’s name in a small box drawn on the top left corner of the chalkboard. When the class had settled, Fro seemed satisfied, and Chara took off from there.

“While June was at fault, Jonathan was as well! He just  **left** his aunt at home without an explanation of what he was going to do and didn’t even say goodbye.” Chara sighed, gaining nods from their group. Well, nods from everyone except Frisk, who was writing down notes. “I’m not usually into books so much, but honestly, Jonathan’s aunt has  **raised him** since he was just a toddler. He could’ve shown a little respect before just leaving!”

“I agree--and also, Landon is like, my favorite character. He’s doing everything right.” Quinn added, gaining multiple nods. These kids rarely talked, but when together, they were quite talkative, especially when having a subject to chat over. “Also, why is nobody talking about June’s connection with animals? That’s going to be important, mark my words. I’m calling that phone--”

_ I’ll gladly answer it. _ Frisk joked with a slight grin before going back to writing. They liked Quinn. Quinn always had good opinions despite their habit of getting into so much trouble… they were like June in that way.  _ I think that June is going to be really important, but we can step on that some other time. Right now, we should start thinking of our presentation. _

“I hate presentations.” Adar stated quite simply, gaining agreement from their whole group. Adar Pickering was a part phoenix and part wolf monster that didn’t seem to like humans, so really the only odd one out in terms of them being in this group was Danny. Adar’s clothing always consisted of something baggy, and today their shirt just happened to be a Pokemon one consisting of all 151 original Pokemon, which immediately landed them in the “cool” book of many people.

“Well, you can hold the poster if you’d like. Or point to things, considering that Danny might be a little better for that job.” Chara offered, in which Danny immediately nodded in agreement to that plan.

Danny Cameron didn’t seem to talk much. Actually, it looked like he was ready to have a heart attack right about now. He never wore long sleeved shirts, even in the winter, or pants, unless it was very cold, which Frisk thought might’ve been some physical problem, but it was actually just the fact that he was quite resistant to the cold and easily overheated. All of his shirts were either plain, lightly patterned, or decorated with either Overwatch or Terraria things, which Chara had stated multiple times that they thought Danny was a cool kid despite being so quiet.

“But Adar is taller.” Quinn pointed out before thinking too much. “Maybe, maybe, maybe--Adar can hold the poster, and Danny can hold up little flashcard-type-things of different subjects and stuff!” They were surprisingly focused, but hey, no one was complaining.

“I’m okay with that.” Fro agreed, in which everyone nodded in agreement. Danny looked less in the midst of a heart attack now, but was still shaking in his seat like some kind of human Temmie. It would be funny if it wasn’t obvious that he was ready to break into a panic attack at any second.

_ Alright, this is good! I say that a couple of us should dress up. _ Frisk suggested, in which Quinn and Fro agreed, but the other three in their group were hesitant. That’s why they said “a couple of us”, just to be as fair as possible.  _ Okay, before we go any further, let’s make some content. _

Before they could continue, Mr. Sophoclaus entered the classroom with a solemn look. Mr. Henrik Sophoclaus was a prideful man with a realistic outlook on life. He was very tall with a solid build, slightly underweight with tanned light-ruddy skin and a round face adorning a road forehead, high cheekbones, dark brown wide-set eyes, bushy eyebrows, a hawk nose, straight teeth and a jutting chin. He had coarse jet black hair and his face had a bushy stubble that he seemed to have  **tried** to shave, but ultimately failed and gave up.

Mr. Sophoclaus merely smiled gently towards Ms. Carpenter before explaining something to her, in which she gave him a shocked look and then looked towards both of the Dreemurr’s, seeming to look quite apologetic.

“Frisk, Chara… Mr. Sophoclaus suggests that you pack up and go to the principal’s office. Your parents have been called regarding your younger sibling from an incident at lunch earlier… and Keisha Hofer is currently in the hospital with a broken arm and a damaged nose.”

Almost immediately the pair of siblings got up from their seats, all of the students suddenly whispering behind their hands to each other only to gain a low growl from Chara as they packed up, much quicker than Frisk even managed to register that Fate had definitely done something… and it  **hadn’t** been good.

 

* * *

Toriel never thought she’d end up sitting in a principal’s office being hounded by two different angry parents and one upset principal, while one child played innocent, another argued, and the others didn’t speak at all. Eventually, after enough yelling, Mr. Sophoclaus hit his hands on his desk and everyone who was standing took a seat, going silent as the principal took a deep breath and clasped his hands together in front of him, leaning on his desk.

“Normally I stay out of the way of classroom controversies because I believe that the teachers can handle things alright on their own… but I guess, today, the children were a little  **upset** \--”

“ **Upset** !?” Mrs. Hofer interrupted, but Mr. Sophoclaus held up a hand to keep her from saying anymore, continuing on.

“... Well, Fate, she… lashed out. She pushed Keisha, breaking her arm and damaging her nose, and then she spat at Jaylynne, who was only trying to stop her from hurting Keisha any further.” Mr. Sophoclaus explained before pausing a moment, in which Jaylynne’s Father spoke up.

“She  **spat** ?” He questioned incredulously, gaining a nod from Mrs. Sophoclaus. Jaylynne’s Father turned towards Toriel, who was taking another deep breath in. “She  **spat** , Mrs. Dreemurr, she  **spat** !”

Fate suddenly spoke up behind her fingers, having been biting at her claws out of anxiety over the situation, shocking everyone because she  **never** spoke.

“Spat, spat, water rat.” She spat out, making Toriel sigh as she placed a paw on one of Fate’s little legs to tell her to be quiet, although the young girl obviously couldn’t help it. Why would she say something rude so suddenly, especially in her situation, with her voice nonetheless? Flowey merely laughed from his spot in Frisk’s arms, albeit quietly due to the tense situation.

“... I thought we could all come in and  **discuss** the situation.” Mr. Sophoclaus told them, gaining many nods and a pair of frowns from the Hofer’s. Asgore barely fit into the office, Chara didn’t look very happy because they just knew that Keisha had done something, and Frisk just looked purely uncomfortable, not to mention the Jaylynne was cautiously pulling at the loose strings on her jacket.

“Keisha started it!” Fate blurted out, causing everyone to go quiet again from the young girl suddenly talking and doing it so rudely. To be fair, she had a bandaid over her nose from the incident and a tissue in one of her little nostrils to catch all the blood. Keisha only argued back.

“You ripped up my homework, you  **freak** !” Keisha yelled, bringing everyone in the room to get uncomfortable because they were only in grade three and they were losing their absolute shit at each other.

Only to make her situation worse, Fate ended up leaning over Toriel’s lap and spitting in Keisha’s face, causing the older girl to shriek at the monster child and all of the adults to start arguing again, Toriel scolding Fate for the improper use of her saliva. Flowey laughed a little louder, and Chara blew a raspberry somewhere in between the arguing. When things settled down again, Mr. Sophoclaus looked ready to just go and jump out one of his open windows, but was able to take a breath and calm down.

“... I think Fate should be suspended for a week--”

“Didn’t you just hear her!?” Chara asked suddenly, all of this obviously getting on their nerves, and they stood up before Frisk could stop them. “Keisha attacked first! She was defending herself in the only way she knew how--she didn’t mean to  **break her arm** and honestly, Keisha is a royal  **bitch** to all of the kids anyways!”

“ **Chara Dreemurr** !” Toriel scolded, causing the child to sit down and cross their arms over their chest with a scowl. Taking a deep breath, Toriel began to speak. “I’m very sorry for Fate’s behavior, albeit she  **did** have a reason to react as Chara said--”

“Your child is a dangerous animal!” Mrs. Hofer suddenly spat out angrily, and Toriel gave her a glare that caused her to sweat anxiously. No one interrupted Toriel.

“She was raised in an awful environment where she didn’t learn properly and she does  **not** understand many things.” Toriel continued, a little more harshly this time around. “I am deeply apologetic for your child’s injuries and her poor behavior, and she will be grounded for a week, but suspension…? I understand the rules, but Keisha brought it upon herself.”

“Did you miss the part where she tore up my daughter’s homework?” Mr. Hofer questioned, and before Toriel could respond, Fate had already spat out more words.

“She was treating Aaron badly.” She told all of them, and when Keisha made a sound to start talking, Fate snapped her head towards the older girl and spat out the insult Chara had used earlier. She didn’t know any better, after all. “ **Bitch** !” Flowey almost shrieked in laughter at that, but Frisk put a hand over him to keep him quiet.

“ **Detention for two weeks** !” Mr. Sophoclaus suddenly yelled, causing everyone to jump in their seats. “For Keisha, and  **three weeks** for Fate due to her poor behavior both against Keisha and in this office, even though I  **should** be suspending her or even  **expelling** her-- **_that is all_ ** !”

No one could argue with that, no one really wanted to, so they all got up from their seats and let the office, breaking down in the halls where Mrs. Hofer started to yell at Toriel as if it was her fault. Holding onto Flowey and biting at her claws much harsher, Fate stayed behind Chara and stared at the ground, unable to comprehend exactly what she had done. She tried to stand up for Aaron, Keisha lunged at her, and she did the instinctive thing of defending herself physically only to end up being awful and hurting the poor girl. Then, she spat at people more than once over the course of four hours before cursing at the girl who had gotten her arm broken and her face shoved into a desk.

She wondered if it was worth it, and then she realized that it most certainly wasn’t if Toriel was getting yelled at and no one was happy in the situation. Right then and there, it almost seemed as if she were right back in the Abaddon, stuck in a cell with a group of others much bigger than her.

She couldn’t control herself. She didn’t know if it was her or if it was the aftermath of going through horrible things, but she couldn’t control herself and she felt awful about it.

That night, after spending an hour wondering exactly how Toriel was going to put her in the ground, she found out exactly what grounding was and was glad to love books so much, and to have so many at her possession. No one spoke all throughout dinner except for Chara from beside her, who told her that everything would be okay and that they often got detention as well--and into trouble. It didn’t make her feel much better. She felt immensely stupid and one thing that she hadn’t felt since the Abaddon: not of control.

So, when she went to bed that night, she found herself crying until she fell asleep, and then suffering from awful nightmares once again.

Nothing made sense and she just had to wonder.

Was she always supposed to feel hope…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL.
> 
> I HOPE YOU ENJOYED, CHAPTER 7 IS ON THE HORIZON.
> 
> WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CHILDREN--THAT'LL BE ANSWERED.


	7. An Awfully Interesting Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's definitely up with Fate, or maybe something's up with the Abaddon.  
> Toriel starts to believe in the children's bedtime horror story because of Fate's sudden behavior and concerning knowledge.  
> The next PTA meeting just happens to come strolling along, and it's quite the lovely thing.  
> No one can stop talking about Fate breaking Keisha's arm, and the children can't seem to stop swearing.  
> Linda is Satan in Christian form, Helen is very quiet, Diana finds her phone more interesting than the well-being of the children, Frank is a sexist shit, and Sans is quite sure that Linda is a stale piece of white bread.
> 
> Also, we get the introduction of a much deeper story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmmm writing streak, please enjoy, this might not last for long.

_These little lost things never last forever. Sometimes the light doesn’t help at all because in the light--you see things. Those things you try to escape, so you leap back into the darkness, hoping… but hope fades, like memories, slipping through your fingers until you’re left with nothing. Nothing but stories, because stories can’t hurt. In the end, there is no escape. The shadows are always near._

_Sometimes you can see too much. Sometimes memories are best left alone, locked away, out of reach… where they belong._

 

* * *

 

“You ask questions only when it’s time for asking questions.” Toriel explained, watching as Fate wrote in her journal. Whether the girl was listening or not, she wasn’t quite sure until her pencil was down and her hands were up.

 _How do I know when it’s time for questions?_ She asked, in which Toriel sighed because she hadn’t raised her hand like she was supposed to. That would go over in class well.

“You may ask questioned when it’s time for asking questions.” Toriel told her, only to gain a weird, confused look from the young monster child. “In the classroom, they have some rules.”

 _But they’re just rules._ Fate insisted, leaning back in her chair, and Toriel tried not to sigh.

“What’s the rule about asking questions?” Toriel asked as Chara walked by with an empty plate.

“We raise our hand.” They interrupted, putting their plate by the sink and then going back to the couch. There was a pause as Toriel hovered her pen over a page in the booklet she had been filling out, taking a deep breath.

“What do we know about “Following Rules Rita”?” Toriel asked Fate, who kept her paws fiddling around with her bracelet as she spoke up. She had started speaking all of the sudden when she couldn’t keep things in, and no one knew why that was.

“She deserves a slow and painful death…” She mumbled under her breath, albeit everyone heard her. Chara even spat out their drink.

Toriel merely leaned forward with a heavy sigh, putting her head in her paws and wondering just exactly what she was going to do with this child…

“... Is your journal done?” Toriel questioned, gaining a nod from Fate, and she cautiously took it from its spot on the dining room table, looking over it.

Step on a crack, break your Mother’s back. _Step on a crack, release evil demons from the underworld and bring bad luck._ __  
Wash your hands. _I have to wash my hands a certain amount of times._  
Fruitcake. Turn out your toes.

Before Toriel knew it, Fate was jumping up and down the stairs, clapping every time she jumped and landed, and at times she would end up tripping. Not knowing what to say, she put the journal down and stood up.

“Fate, please don’t play on the stairs!” Toriel called out, but Fate only snapped in response.

“Leave me alone!” She snapped, continuing to play on the stairs, and Toriel couldn’t help but feel defeated for once, sitting right back down and starting to read through the journal again.

_Raisins bite. Fat, fat, water rat._

Fate was just so… uncontrollable. Random. Slightly irritating. She was imaginative and sensitive, and passionate. She just got excited and upset in the wrong ways. She knew things that shouldn’t have been know considering that she was supposedly trapped in what she called the Abaddon for so long, but no matter because she knew those things either way. Such as the page Toriel had left blank in the girls journal, where Fate wrote whatever she wanted to, and it just happened to be facts she shouldn’t have known.

 _Seven humans have fallen down, in the well-known underground. Patience, Bravery, Integrity, Perseverance, Kindness, Justice, Determination._ __  
**_Patience_** _had quite a smile, a little knife in hand with no wish to kill. She liked monsters of all kinds, and thought it was a thrill to be travelling in a place such as the underground._ __  
**_Bravery_** _was a fearless spirit, always aware of attacks and for him there were no limits. A fight, an adventurer, that’s how he was described, and to be so brave, it must have been a crime._ __  
**_Integrity_** _was the one who is quite honest, she always kept and remembered her promise. Quite elegant, beautiful, and graceful, that’s why she was called the soul of_ ** _Integrity_** _._ __  
**_Perseverance_** _would never give in, no matter how wide the journey, no matter how thin. They didn’t care how long their path was, they did it without a trace, which in fact might’ve been a problem in this case._ __  
**_Kindness_** _, that one was quite nice. What he met a new friend, he wouldn’t think twice before greeting them, welcoming them, and cherishing their friendship. After meeting, you would surely be filled with bliss._ __  
**_Justice_** _was the one who persisted what was right and if you refused, he would put up quite a fight. He fought for what was right, no doubt about that, and he was filled with_ ** _Justice_** _, not in a lack._ _  
_ _Finally, there was_ ** _Determination_** , the last but not least, determined as a bug scurrying up a leaf. They can be liked hatred, brutal and mean, or they can be a pacifist, the nicest person ever seen. They can be either, or neutral, whether the kill or don’t kill is all up to you.

“Fate, could I--”

Before Toriel could finish, Fate had fallen up the stairs, her knees and chin smacking into the carpet-covered hardwood. She let out a wince, and then she stayed still, which brought Toriel to her feet immediately, rushing across the living room and up the stairs to sit with the child who was most likely injured from her fall. Fate didn’t show it besides turning around to sit properly and staring at her feet as if everything she had done was just… **wrong**. Putting a paw on her back, Toriel leaned over to consult the child, but simply got a question that made her heart sink.

“Are you always supposed to feel hope?” Fate asked softly, not looking up from the ground, and Toriel didn’t know how to answer. Fate was **eight** , and she was asking about hope…?

A thought crossed Toriel’s mind, and yet all she could bring herself to do was remain sitting on those steps, hugging the child who had been found injured and terrified in the rain. Had that same child really broke another child’s arm in the middle of a classroom? Nothing seemed to make sense…

“I can see myself... wrecking and ruining…” Fate told her, her voice just as quiet as before, if not softer. She leaned into Toriel as she picked at her bandages, her voice starting to shake. “... but I can't stop myself.”

“It’s alright…” Toriel promised her, rocking the poor child back and forth gently. “It’s just the Abaddon, right…?”

Everything Fate did, it had something to do with the Abaddon. That’s what she said and Toriel didn’t believe it, but maybe it was time to start believing. If she didn’t, who knew what else Fate might do…?

 

* * *

 

If there was one thing Chara didn’t think was a good idea right now, it was going to a PTA meeting, but Toriel had insisted that simply because Fate broke a girl’s arm, that didn’t mean the family couldn’t participate in making the school a better place. The Hofer’s would be going, after all. That made Chara decide to tag along once again--out of spite towards the Hofer’s. Fate didn’t exactly want to go either, but with Chara’s offer to bring Flowey and to hold their hand, she couldn’t really say no.

So, off the Dreemurr’s went with Sans in tow, straight towards an evening of hell.

The kids went off immediately and before he could even sit down, Sans noticed that Linda was sending a glare in the direction of an adult Sans hadn’t seen before. If looks could kill, that woman would be on the floor clutching at her chest right now, he was sure of it, but he nonetheless walked over to the woman, who was reaching for the lemon bars on the snack table.

“I wouldn’t eat those if I were you.” Sans advised, watching as the woman jumped and brought a hand to her chest as if to stop her heart from jumping out of her body. She let out a soft chuckle before giving a nod, keeping her hands away from the salty snacks.

“Thank you for warning me. I’ve heard of Mrs. Binchdt’s… odd snacks and I was just curious.” She laughed lightly before pausing, and then holding out her hand. “I’m Jessica Cameron.”

“Sans.” The skeleton introduced himself, gladly shaking the Mother’s hand. “You’re new, aren’t you?”

“Yes, actually!” Jessica responded, patting at her thighs as she spoke. “I just moved here with my two kids from another state.” Sans gave a nod.

“Well, welcome to hell.” He joked, glad to gain a laugh instead of a scowl from her. PTA meetings could be draining on the mind.

Everyone sat down in the next couple of minutes, with Linda disregarding the fact that Jessica was new and that a pair of parents who hadn’t shown up at the first meeting were here this time, and it started within another ten minutes. Whiel Linda went on and on with her annoying voice creating words and trying to string them into sentences, everyone leaned back, or leaned forward on their phones if you were Diana, and waited for her to finally get to a group discussion topic. It didn’t take very long when she realised that no one was listening to her, in which she cleared her throat and simply moved on.

“... Today, we’ll be discussing the March field trip and how much the summer bake sale raised to finance the upcoming winter concert and the spring play.” Linda told them, and everyone simply sighed. No one blamed each other because this was time-consuming for something that should’ve been simple. “For the field trips, any suggestions?”

Many suggestions came out right away.

“The local park is a safe place for the kids to go!”  
“The grocery store could be educating!”  
“We should take them to a dog park! Kids loves dogs! Let them run around, not have to worry…”

“Why not take them to the local Planetarium that just opened up this summer?” Becca asked, gaining many nods and hums of agreement. Despite Linda’s hatred towards the single Mother with a “dysfunctional” child, the blonde had to agree because it was what seemed like thousands of votes against hers.

“Alright, the Planetarium it is…” Linda growled, writing it down. Once again, Diana wasn’t paying attention and Helen wasn’t backing her up--in fact, Helen just sat there nodding along and looking like some sort of distraught mess. “Next on our list: the bake sale successfully raised **over** our set goal, so financing for the winter field trip, the winter concert and the spring play shouldn’t be too hard at all! All there is to do is decide what to do for our winter concert and decide exactly what we should put on for our play, and then auditions and all that… stuff…”

Linda trailed off, in which the room went silent for a moment, and then everyone burst into suggestions.This would be… a very **long** meeting…

 

* * *

 

“So, as I’ve been saying, Autism Speaks is a **shit**  way to represent Autism because the president has admitted to wanting to murder her own child.” Chandler explained, a bunch of the children actually sitting in a circle playing Go Fish. Chandler would never stop talking about new things he learned, which everyone in the circle found totally fine because it kept conversation going while everyone was playing. “Jasmine Pickering, correct? Have any four’s?”

“Dang it…” Jasmine mumbled under her breath from quarter-way around the circle from the boy, grabbing a four and sliding it over to Chandler, who did a little happy dance as eh grinned. Jasmine seemed to pase for a moment before looking over Fate’s way, the young girl sitting between her siblings with Flowey in her lap. “Fate, right? I heard you broke Keisha’s arm. If you could tell me about it, I’d like to use the outburst as a scene in an MS paint comic I’m doing about a girl who escaped an assassin training camp, but now has to blend into normal life otherwise the camp will find her. Also, would you happen to have any eight’s?”

 _Go Fish._ Fate signed with her right paw, causing Jasmine to groan and lean forward to the pile, grabbing another card and sighing at her lack of pairs, including her amount of cards. _Also, go ahead. I pretty much just shoved her face into a desk and broke her arm by putting pressure on it while it was twisted behind her back. The story sounds pretty cool, so I’d like to read it._

“That shouldn’t be a problem if you have DeviantART.” Adar stated softly, gaining a slight shove from their adoptive sibling only to snicker a bit at her reaction.

 _Concerning you… Adar?_ Fate wondered if she got that right. Frisk had talked about Adar, but Fate hadn’t really paid attention considering she had literally just broken a girl’s arm the day before. _I like your shirt, and do you have any three’s?_ Adar’s shirt that day was of a Steven Universe and Adventure Time crossover--aka the best thing Fate had seen since she escaped the Abaddon other than the cartoons themselves, courtesy of Sans.

“Thanks. Also, what are you--psychic?” Adar questioned, handing over one of their cards that they had just previously picked up. Fate shrugged a bit, giving the fellow monster a cheeky smile before they continued the game, turning to the boy beside them. “Danny. One, Overwatch is a great game, and two… give me that five...”

“Cheater…” Danny muttered under his breath, handing his five over to Adar, who felt quite achieved. “And yah… it is…” After his agreement towards Adar’s statement, Danny looked to Flannery. “Flannery Parker… do you have any nine’s?” Flannery shook her head, causing Danny to groan softly.

“Go Fish.” Flannery told him with a sweet smile, feeling a little bit bad. “Aiden, would you happen to have any King’s?”

“Go Fish, Nery.” Aiden responded, bringing the orange-haired girl to lean forward and grab a card, only to put the five down with another five she had been holding. “Frisk, any six’s?”

 _Go Fish, Mr. Binchdt._ Frisk rhymed, in which Aiden let out a joking scoff and grabbed a card, putting it down with its match. _Amber, any Queen’s besides you?_ Amber looked ready to laugh, her face going a bright red from Frisk’s flirt as she handed over her Queen. _Thanks_.

 _No problem._ Amber signed in response before wondering who to ask. The only other person she really knew well… _Chara, do you have any two’s?_

“Go Fish.” Chara responded a little sheepishly before continuing the game. “Melina, could you break your eldest brother’s arm like Fate did Keisha’s, and pass me over that seven you picked up last round?”

Melina flicked the card at Chara with a giggle as Fate slouched, a little upset that her breaking Keisha’s arm was such a big thing. Did arms not get broken often around here?

“No one can break an arm like your sister did!” Melina insisted cheerfully before turning towards Joshua. “Josh, do you have any King’s?” Joshua sighed and passed his King over to the bright five year old, who squealed in delight that she had finally gotten a pair from him.

“Maggie, would you happen to have any six’s on you, please?” Joshua questioned, but the young girl shook her head with a loud giggle.

“Go Fish!” She giggled, making the older boy pout and reach for the pile of cards. She than called out to her friend on the other side of the circle. “Lena, give me your three’s!”

“I don’t have any, Go Fish!” Lena called back, her voice soft despite the shout. Maggie went fishing and Lena turned to Fro since she sort of knew her. “Fro… do you have any five’s…?”

“Yes, I do!” Fro responded cheerfully, handing over her five before talking to Jericho across the circle. “Jerichooooooooo, pass your twoooooo’s!!” Jericho did as he was told, flicking a two card across the circle at Fro before talking softly across the circle to none other than Leo Pickering.

“Leo, are there any nine’s in your arsenal?” Jericho asked softly, gaining a shake of a head in response and bringing him to sigh, going fishing. “Why are we playing this again?”

“Because there’s nothing else to do!” Chara complained, throwing their cards. Everyone else followed in their movement and Frisk started to clean up the cards, putting them back. “I say we break the rest of Keisha’s bones.”

Said girl, going through her phone in the corner, snapped her head up in fear, which was enough for Chara as they smirked and gave a shrug. At least **that** hadn’t been boring. Fate merely sighed, leaning forward a bit to hug Flowey’s pot.

 _I've got 99 problems and being a decaying organism that's born to die in a society run by money that I can't escape is one of them._ She signed with a frown, smiling a bit when Chandler broke into laughter, falling onto his back as he blew a raspberry.

All of the sudden, out of boredom, Kyle started making didgeridoo noises, making everyone jump a bit at how loud he was.

“Hey, Kyle--” Madison addressed the boy, who actually glanced over at the slightly younger girl. “Could you didgeri-don’t?” Although many of the kids snorted at that joke, Kyle suddenly exploded, throwing his book at Madison and pulling out his phone as he yelled.

“FUCK YOU!” He yelled at her, the book luckily not hitting her, and she scowled at him, returning to her own dumb phone.

No one said another word.

 

* * *

 

“Alright, so for the winter concert, we should have seven soloists--one from each grade--either tell a story or sing a song.” Eryn went over, gaining many nods of agreement. “Every class should sing a song or put on a small play for sure, I think, just to get into the spirit of things! They should all dress up nicely or in certain colors!”

Everyone definitely agreed with that, even Linda surprisingly, so she wrote it all down before speaking up.

“Each teacher will be responsible for what their class does and communicating with other teachers on all of it. As for auditions for the soloists, we can think about it come late October or early November.” Linda explained with her head-first, stubborn authority. “As for dressing up, play’s will be required to be in-character and everyone else should be somewhat casual-fancy. I’m thinking skirts, dress pants, dress shirts, and vests--sweater or not.” Everyone agreed with that, but then Frank spoke up.

“Why not the boys wear the dress pants and the girls wear skirts, so we can define certain things? I say four boy soloists and three girl soloists.” Frank suggested, and before Linda could even say anything, Sans had spoken up.

“It’s the 21st century, Frank, get out of here with that weaksauce gender role bullshit.” Sans sighed, sitting up straight and leaning on the table, and Frank scowled at him. “Whichever kids get the part--their genders don’t matter. Plus, what about the non-binary children? Get your shit together.”

“And the children should feel free to wear whatever makes them comfortable!” Oscar Pickering suddenly added in, gaining many nods and hums of agreement from the other parents. “I know Adar would definitely not be happy to wear a skirt. They prefer baggy clothing.”

“Chara wouldn’t like wearing a skirt either. You really wanna deal with their rage over a skirt?” Sans questioned, bringing Toriel to actually snort behind her paw at the image of that happening.

“Danny might want to wear a skirt instead of dress pants. Dress pants can get hot and a sweater vest might overheat him. He has a bit of a problem with overheating…” Jessica explained, bringing Linda to throw up her hands.

“Free for all, let’s move on!” She exclaimed, obviously overwhelmed with the complaints and all. Sans leaned to his right to whisper to Jessica.

“The only thing drier than Linda’s lemon squares is that pathetic thing she calls a sense of humor.” He whispered, bringing Jessica to break into quiet laughter as he sat back up, feeling accomplished.

“And for the school play? Should we do a musical?” Linda questioned, bringing Diana to actually pay attention.

“We should do Romeo and Juliet!” She suggested, bringing on the cringing on nearly everyone at the table.

“What are you, a Diana-saur?” Sans questioned, grinning when nearly everyone at the table started to laugh, and Diana went back to her phone with a scowl.

“I say that we do Alice In Wonderland.” Toriel suggested, the thought just having randomly come to her mind, and many of the parents exchanged thoughtful looks because they actually agreed.

“That’s actually a fairly good idea!” Indigo Pickering complimented, gaining both a smile from Toriel in thanks and a low growl from Linda as the women crossed her thin arms. “The auditions could be held in late January or early February!”

“I like those ideas…” Helen mumbled, putting her head straight back down when Linda glared at her, sharply clicking her pen and writing down the ideas as she spoke.

“Although a good idea, may I remind you, Mrs. Dreemurr, that it was **your** daughter who broke another child’s arm.” Linda brought up with a sickly sweet smile, smiling even more as gossip flew around due to her. Toriel only responded just as sharply as Linda had clicked her pen.

“May I remind you, Mrs. Binchdt, that your eldest son is the one who hid in a locker in the girl’s changing room without any shame.” Toriel brought up, causing much more gossip to fly around.

“Also, Linda, you’re a stale piece of white bread.” Sans insulted, causing Linda to scowl, throwing up her hands once again.

“ **Meeting dismissed**!” She shrieked, bringing everyone from their seats to go gather their children and then leave.

Everyone just knew that it wouldn’t stay as civil as it was the first time.

 

* * *

 

Sitting on the top big balcony of an even bigger house was a young man in his early twenties with straight, puffy short, dark brown hair and dark hazel brown eyes, a light stubble pricking out from his face. He had lightly tanned skin and when he smiled as he leaned back, dimples appeared in his cheeks. He grabbed a pair of binoculars to zoom in on something he found interesting and couldn’t examine with his simple human eyes. Approaching him and taking a seat on either side of him was an older man in his early thirties with pale ivory skin, light brown hair in a buzz cut and dark brown eyes, and a cleanly-shaved face, alongside a pale asian woman in her late twenties with long, wavy dark brown hair that went down to her mid-back and dark brown eyes behind a pair of black glasses.

This was Jordan Marone, Adam Maalouf, and Cathy Dixon.

“The stars are aligning.” Jordan informed them, passing the binoculars to Adam, who took a look and gave a light laugh. “It’s approaching… What do we do?”

“We wait for it.” Adam told him, passing the binoculars to Cathy, who removed her glasses for a moment to take a look before putting th binoculars down and returning her glasses to their rightful spot. “When the right time strikes, so do we. We’re all ready anyways, right?”

“That we are…” Cathy responded softly, all three of them staring at the night sky above them. “The three of us are ready, as are my younger brothers. The Daznews are one call away, along with Marcel.”

“Marcel agreed to help?” Jordan questioned, sounding a little disbelieving and yet relieved. Cathy gave a nod and a small smile.

“... Everyone has, Jordan.” She responded, causing the younger boy to smile brightly. “We can win.”

The only question was--could they **really** win, or would they be doomed to fall?

At the hands of the Abaddon, they’d rather go down with a fight than give in and die anyways. To die would be an awfully interesting adventure--one that they were willing to go on for the safety of the generations to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHOO! *smashes head against a stove* THAT'S SOME GOD SHIT--WHAT'RE WE DOIN'!?


	8. Can't Help Falling In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning announcements bring a lovely surprise. A group of the police force, including a pair of gay Irish men, start the movement towards defense against what's coming--whatever that may be. The auditions for the Winter concert are here! And so is your daily dose of gay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my Irish side. I also love Anxiety Awareness, and making you all think about the impending doom so much because you don't know what it is, but you just know that it's coming!

_ Imagine a story where everything goes wrong. Where everyone has their back against the wall, where everyone is in pain and acting selfishly, because if they don’t--they’ll die. Imagine a story, not of good against evil, but of need, against need, against need… Where everyone is at cross-purposes, and everyone is to blame. _

Fate found herself unable to stop writing even when the twenty minutes was up. Every morning, right before the morning announcements, Ms. Cotler let the kids have twenty minutes of writing, no matter what the writing was, for extra marks and to get their heads spinning for the day. She didn’t listen when Ms. Cotler said that time was up, and only started to pay attention when the morning announcements started, albeit she kept writing even then.

“ _ Good morning Willow Creek Elementary. I’m your principal, Mr. Sophoclaus, and these are your morning announcements. _ ”

“Do you think he’ll announce the winter concert audition dates and all that stuff?” Chandler questioned out of nowhere, getting the entire class into a hyped-up mood. That could’ve actually happened. It was getting closer to Halloween and all, so it was likely.

“ _ Halloween is quickly approaching and because of it, you better make sure to spend 50 cents on a baggie of candies for you and your friends, in the main hall starting today. _ ” No one cared about that. They always gave awful candies, like candy corn and old Hershey’s kisses that looked like the skin of a lizard. Fate had heard the story of how Chara threw up on the playground from trying to eat one, and trying was a keyword in that story. “ _ And the winter concert is coming up on December 20th, the day before school ends for the winter break. One lucky child from each grade has a chance to do a solo part during the concert, whether it’ll be reading a story or singing a song. _ ”

“So the winter concert  **is** happening like they discussed at the PTA meeting the other night!” Chandler cheered, flapping his arms excitedly and hitting his knees against the bottom of his desk.

“Stop flapping around! I can’t hear!” Keisha yelled, just as Fate finished her writing and went to hand it to Ms. Cotler, loudly slamming her pencil down. Keisha shut up immediately.

“ _ Auditions will be during lunch tomorrow in the auditorium. They will be judged by Mrs. Mary Belle Greenewell, our Kindergarten teacher, and the soloists will be announced next week. _ ”

Fate tuned out the rest of the announcements, scratching at her knuckles anxiously because that meant tomorrow would be an early start due to Frisk wanting to talk about the auditions to whoever was running them. Something about translation issues…

 

* * *

Dacian had been buzzing all night. The heist would be first thing in the morning in the middle of the fucking ocean, after all, which he  **hated** with a burning passion because he didn’t know how to swim. He’d done the stupidest and most obvious thing of spending two hours in the shower before counting the amount of ammo he’d be taking at the kitchen table, noticing how his husband was being obvious with his worry. Yes, Brian Harkin usually did heists like this instead of his husband, Dacian Niamh, but with the oncoming danger to the town of Ebott--to the world--they couldn’t argue that Dacian would be better off undercover while Brian worked in the office.

The next morning, after kissing his husband goodbye with very little conversation between the pair of Irish men, Dacian set off to the meeting point--under the big Ebott pier. There was a speedboat already in place, and Rovia Monroe was already there, all clad in his protective suit and all.

“Good morning, Officer Niamh.” Rovia greeted, his words slightly muffled by the hair tie in his mouth and his hands occupied by pulling his long, light brown hair up into a ponytail, his bright blue eyes piercing into Dacian’s dark brown ones.

Otherwise, Dacian would’ve found himself face-to-face with the terrifying responsibility of a proper handshake from a sheriff. The weird thing about Ebott was that they had a chief, then they had sheriffs, and then they had simple officers despite it being a type of small town. It wasn’t as small as it seemed, Dacian had come to learn.

“Mornin’.” Dacian responded softly, running a hand through his floofed hair before adjusting his glasses to his face properly. “Are de others on their way?”

Rovia paused before pointing over Dacian’s shoulder, then grabbing his hair tie from his mouth to tie up his hair. Taking a look behind him, Dacian caught sight of Abner Caelum, a short man with unkempt hair and a stubbly face alongside improper clothing for their mission, and a new kid who had just joined the Ebott police force last month, Clay Wardrop. She was tall, just about Rovia’s height which made a joke in Dacian’s mind despite just being a foot taller than Abner, and she had dirty blonde hair that almost looked brown alongside dark blue eyes that looked slightly gray, especially in the dark lighting.

“Well, den.” Dacian sighed, shaking his head as he looked back at Rovia, who gave him a simple shrug, before looking back at Abner and Clay. “Mornin’ to de pair of ye.”

“I never understand you.” Abner stated simply with a grin nearly parallel to that of the Cheshire Cat before the team made their way to the speedboat. “What’s our job, again?”

“We’re stealthy. We get in, we grab the artifact, and we get out.” Rovia explained, taking his seat in the driver’s spot. Dacian had called shotgun the day before, so jokes on Abner and Clay.

“What artifact?” Clay questioned a little stupidly in her slightly Scottish accent, even though she had proved quite the opposite many times before. Dacian turned around after strapping himself in to respond, quieting his usually loud voice due to the sensitive subject.

“‘Tis a cup.” Dacian replied, watching as Clay leaned in to listen. “A grail of sorts. ‘Tis really important an’ we can’t let de group who ‘as it continue to ‘av it.”

“... That makes sense, but you don’t.” Clay responded, leaning back in her seat, and Dacian only blew a raspberry in her direction before sitting forward.

“Ya ain’t much better, lassie.” He told her before Rovia suddenly stomped down on the gas pedal, throwing all of them back in their seats. “What de Hell, Rovia!?”

“Shut up, all of you.” Rovia snapped lightly, his long hair flicking around in the heavy breeze that came from riding in a speedboat. “This is a serious matter, so stop acting like children over silly accents and get focused.  **Stay** focused. This boat will be heavily guarded because o the grail, so we need to be stealthy and we need to work together.”

“And if we get caught…?” Dacian questioned softly, obviously worried, but Abner simply patted his shoulder.

“Just act like you thought this was a Disney cruise.” He responded sarcastically, bringing a snort out of Clay even as Rovia sighed and shook his head.

This would be a long mission, but to Hell with them if it wasn’t going to be successful.

 

* * *

Fate didn’t know why she was here with her siblings and a couple of her classmates that she got along with well, in the auditorium… for the winter concert solo auditions. She didn’t even like social situations, nonetheless performing in front of the whole school and their dogs, but many of them had insisted. Chara had carried her all the way here and sat her down in a seat before going to write her name down on the slip of paper. It wasn’t fair, but her sibling just excused it as a “good way to come out of her shell”, as if that mattered.

She was the kid who broke another kid’s arm. There was  **no** way that any good could come out of this, especially when said kid was obviously going to audition as well. Fate didn’t even know if she had a voice for this kind of stuff. Sure, she hummed a lot, but humming and singing or storytelling were completely different things… Mrs. Mary Belle Greenewell seemed nice enough, but looks were deceiving. Fate knew that better than anyone, she was sure of it, but she also knew better than anyone how much it hurt to cut your lips with your claws when you were meant to be biting them out of a nervous habit. Ouch.

“Hey, wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

Oof. Now there were more people she knew there because here came the Pickerings and the Cameron’s, oddly in a group together. Maybe making friends was just a hard thing for Fate.

“Let me guess, Jasmine is trying out?” Fro questioned as the group took some seats around them, in which Jasmine nodded ecstatically.

“I mean, why not? And also, I need to shove non-religion in Mrs. Binchdt’s face.” Jasmine responded before pausing and then turning to Aiden, who had Melina sitting in his lap. “No offence, both of you.”

“None taken.” Aiden responded with a nod from Melina on the side.

“How is your Mom even married?” Adar asked, gaining a pair of shrugs in response. “Either your parents are both awful or she’s blackmailing him.”

“Maybe both.” Fate spat out before she could stop herself, gaining thoughtful hums in response before Chandler spoke up.

“So, it’s Melina, Fate, Jasmine, Aiden and I?” He questioned, sitting in a weird position with his hat slipping off, his feet high up, and his bottom off the chair. Jasmine almost immediately grabbed her phone from her pockets, starting to type away in her notes about something, which everyone just had a feeling was her MS paint comic. “Cool.”

“Melina Binchdt.”

Well, speaking of. The bright blonde girl slid out of her brother’s lap and bounced her way up to the front, her pigtails bouncing with her even as she went up the stairs to the stage and took a run to the middle. No matter how many people were there, auditioners and friends alike, she cleared her throat and started to recite a monologue--specifically, “Dogface” by Kellie Powell.

“This is how it happens: One minute, you’re just another awkward second-grader. And then your Mom takes you and your brother to her friend’s house, out in the country. You get out of the car, and there’s a big yellow dog wagging his tail at you. And your Mom and your brother go to ring the doorbell, and you get down on your knees in front of this friendly dog, and you’re petting him…”

Melina trailed off, leaning forward and bringing everyone forward expectantly with her. Then, she jumped forward, causing everyone to jump as well. Some kids actually screamed.

“And then, suddenly, the dog snaps his jaws! And your life as you know it… ends. It happens so fast… You’re not even sure what happened. It feels like a very sharp pinch, and then it’s spreading, fast through your whole face. There’s blood. There’s a lot of blood. You yell for your Mom, you run towards her. She turns, and when she sees you, she gasps in horror and she covers your brother’s eyes, and she screams to him, “Don’t look!”. That’s how these things happen, I guess. Anyway, that’s how it happened to me.”

Mrs. Mary Belle Greenewell looked slightly disturbed by Melina’s talent, even when the story was quite gruesome for a child her age. She was five, after all. A couple of the other Kindergarteners looked ready to cry actually, but Melina kept going because her story wasn’t over yet. Aiden looked proud and disturbed at the same time, while Chara seemed to be on the best rollercoaster ever without even leaving their seat.

“The dog never barked, never growled. He followed after me, still friendly and playful. Blood pouring from the holes in my face… and he’s looking at me, wagging his tail. My Mother grabbed my jacket from the car, and told me to hold it tight against my face. I was crying. I was so panicked I felt like I was choking.”

Melina definitely knew how to capture an audience. She could definitely be given that.

“At the hospital, nurses were coming in, mopping up blood and asking questions and trying to establish how much of my face was still there, whether the nerve endings were alive. My face felt puffy and I was light-headed. The nurses were friendly, they wanted me to trust them. And I did. I believed them when they said that doctors would be able to fix me. My Father didn’t--he couldn’t--look directly at me. He kept staring at a space on the wall above me. He kept saying, “You’re being very brave.” I didn’t feel brave I was still crying, but quietly. I was pressing cotton against my face, just wanting it to be over. I just wanted to go home.”

Mrs. Greenewell had started writing something down. Probably a report for the principal. If it was a report, Linda would be getting smacked in the face with realization, which was just as good as Melina possibly getting a solo part.

“When they finally let me see myself, when they gave me a mirror, I had prepared myself for a Halloween mask, for a horror movie, for a nightmare. But the blood had been cleaned away. It was just neat rows of stitches. I was actually relieved. But then I went back to school. And then the real trauma began.”

Melina had skipped a part simply out of… well, probably mercy for the audience. She bounced off the stage, still bright and cheerful, and Mrs. Greenewell continued the list immediately while Aiden lifted Melina back up into his lap. How a five year old girl knew such a gruesome story, no one would ever know… no one really cared to find out because they were slightly scared of questioning her. It kind of made Melina one of the best Kindergarteners, being able to scare the older kids like that.

And because the list was randomized--

“Keisha Hofer.”

Said eight year old did quite the bitch walk up to the stage. She wore just as much pink and frills as per usual, but now she had extra jewellery and extra makeup on. It was probably a make-up gift from her parents for having a broken arm. Fate couldn’t stand to be a part of the reason Keisha was the way she was…

“ **_I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming, but there’s a voice inside my head saying, “You’ll never reach it.”_ ** .”

Fate also couldn’t stand the fact that Keisha thought she could sing because she most definitely could  **not** . She sounded… like a special donkey. Chara had a thought that Keisha might actually get along with Miley Cyrus, and then they cursed under their breath because at least Miley Cyrus knew how to tone herself, even if it was with autotune. Mrs. Greenewell seemed like she’d rather have Melina tell another story, and Chandler had officially slid off his chair completely in an attempt to tune out Keisha’s awful singing, letting out a sound that was definitely like some sort of demon was trying to escape his body. Maybe Keisha was possessed… or just tone deaf, and she also shouldn’t have been allowed into the art rooms supply of glitter because Mrs. Greenewell was going to have to clean up the stage. Not to mention everyone else’s poor shoes.

Keisha didn’t care as she went back to her seat, sending a glare over in the direction of the group. Half of them sunk down in their chairs, while a quarter of them made rude movements, such as Chara giving her their middle fingers and Jasmine sticking out her tongue while trying to hold Adar down so he wouldn’t do anything stupid that might get him suspended. She couldn’t hold him own for long, as her name was suddenly called, so she simply shoved her phone into Adar’s lap and rushed up to the front, ready to smack down Keisha’s awful performance.

“ **_Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?_ ** ”

Jasmine wasn’t half-bad. Definitely nowhere near the low level that Keisha Hofer had just cracked out, in which everyone was slowly trying to forget about it. She wasn’t worth their time, but Jasmine deserved the time of everyone there--even Fate, who had slowed down with chewing on her claws to pay attention.

“ **_‘Cause, baby, you’re a firework. Come on, show ‘em what your worth. Make ‘em go, “Aah, aah, ahh”, as you shoot across the sky-y-y._ ** ”

Being the observant one of the group at the moment, Chara decided to glance over the auditorium only to find a very unhappy Keisha. At least she understood that she wouldn’t win, and Mrs. Greenewell wasn’t one to be bribed by parents who just wanted their kids to be spoiled brats and unnecessary boosts of self-esteem. Keisha was fine, aside from her broken arm, but that she had kind of deserved.

Jasmine’s performance was one of the better ones, and when she took her seat, Mrs. Greenewell seemed hesitant to call upon anyone because of what her poor ears already had dealt with. Nonetheless, the auditions continued, and Fate turned around in her seat while Chandler got back up into his, eyes locked straight on Jasmine.

_ How did you do that? _ She questioned, signing quickly to the point where Jasmine probably didn’t register it.  _ I might as well quit. I can’t do that. Keisha can take my spot, since I broke her arm anyways and pity and this school kind of sucks-- _

“Chill out.” Chara interrupted, only gaining a raspberry from their sibling in return before Fate curled up in her seat, biting at her claws and in turn scratching at her lips again.

She wasn’t even sure about the song Frisk had decided on for her because it was kind of cheesy and nothing really made sense to her while she just sat there, so what about going up there in front of a bunch of people? Fate didn’t know about that. She was sure that she was going to choke, or have her voice break, or not even find her voice at all.

“Aiden Binchdt?”

Said boy put his younger sister down in the seat beside him and went up to the stage, slouching quite noticeably because he probably didn’t want his Mom finding out about this. Performing was “for girls”, after all… and that, Chara decided, was a load of horse shit. Nonetheless, Aiden started to recite a monologue as his sister had done--”Richard Fisher’s Funeral” by Kellie Powell.

“You don’t get it. I’ve been afraid of my Father  **all my life** . I spent every waking moment trying to keep him from exploding. Trying to do everything just right--and not just believing, but  **knowing** … that one day, he would kill me. That he’d kill us all.”

Aiden was already at his sister’s level of storytelling, and who know if this was Aiden talking about Richard Fisher’s funeral? He could’ve been talking about William Binchdt’s, hoping that it came sooner or later. No one would know. Maybe he wanted it that way, or maybe the kids who were his friends just thought way too much into a situation.

“My first memory… is the day my brother spilled a can of paint down the stairs. My parents were painting the house. Ricky thought he was helping, but it was too heavy for him, and… paint just went flying, everywhere. I held my breath. I don’t know why I thought that would help.”

Everyone was on the edge of their seats to hear why this Father was so bad.

“My Father put his fist through the wall. I screamed. Ricky and I started crying. And the whole time that he… the whole time, he kept yelling at us to stop crying. I couldn’t. I thought he was going to kill us both, and my Mother couldn’t stop him. I was four years old. Ricky was two. And  have been living in that hole in the wall, ever since. I can’t forgive him. I won’t pretend. So go read “Footprints in the Sand” if it’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Today, my Father’s going in the ground. Except, I don’t remember having a Father. After all, a Father couldn’t do that to his kids.”

In the following silence, Aiden simply bowed and left the stage, letting everyone sit in the tense atmosphere as he went back to his seat. Mrs. Greenewell batted at her eyes--who would’ve known that she wore makeup? She continued on with the list, but everything was still tense despite it all slowly coming down from its high. Fate didn’t know why, but she felt tense even as the minutes ticked on. Something about that story had just… thrown her off a bit.

“Chandler Rose.”

Chandler immediately got up, rushing to the stage with jumps in his steps and his arms flailing as he tried to prepare himself for the audition. Even as he got up onto the stage, there was a bounce in his steps and a twist in his wrists as his hands flapped--any harder and he might’ve taken off in a flight to Australia. Taking a deep breath, Chandler clutched at his cool baseball jacket, and then--

“ **_I know I can't take one more step towards you, 'cause all that's waiting is regret. Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore, you lost the love I loved the most_ ** _. _ ”

Chandler was actually… really good. Despite the slight shaking in his voice from being nervous, his voice teetered between the tones of the song he was singing. It was impressive, to say the least.

“ **_I learned to live half alive, and now you want me one more time. And who do you think you are? Runnin' 'round leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart. You're gonna catch a cold, from the ice inside your soul, so don't come back for me. Who do you think you are?_ ** ”

Fate wished that Chandler’s audition had lasted until the end of time, or that a meteor had hit the Earth and they had all exploded, but no. The universe hated her. So, right after Chandler auditioned, like a performance right before Beyonce--who she knew about thanks to Frisk--she was called upon. She was completely and utterly terrified, but nonetheless, she let her little legs go up to the stage instead of rushing towards the door. Maybe she just wanted to make a point, or maybe she was just plainly stupid. Maybe it was just the anxiety, and anxiety was an absolute asshole. It took about a minute of claw chewing, nervous shifting, and for Chara to start whistling the tune, but Fate was finally able to find her voice from somewhere in the back of her dry, scratchy throat.

“ **_Wise men say, only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can’t help falling in love with you?_ ** ”

This was a very old song and Fate didn’t even like people. She had no idea why Frisk chose it, besides the obvious fact that they were a romantic and apparently some sort of music expert. Frisk wrote poetry, not songs. This was a short one, though, so props to Frisk for that.

“ **_Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be. Take my hand, take my whole life, too. For I can’t help falling in love with you._ ** ”

The way people were looking at her brought her to close her eyes, not wanting to look. She didn’t know if they were positive or negative, but she knew that this was a mistake. A big, fat mistake and a joke to make for a very long time for Chara. She didn’t want any other jokes, so she simply kept going.

“ **_Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be. Take my hand, take my whole life, too. For I can’t help falling in love with you. For I can’t help falling in love with you._ ** ”

Why did she keep going!? Why did she open her eyes!? Everyone was looking at her! Dear God, smite her. No, smite Chara!  **They** were at fault for this!

Immediately rushing off of the stage, Fate was sure that she was going to throw up, so she went straight for Chara. If she was going to throw up, it would be all over them for making her do this. Maybe this was just the anxiety, maybe her performance was okay.

“Of course it wasn’t okay! Of course it wasn’t okay!” She whisper-yelled at herself, hitting at her head as she took a seat again. No one said anything. Why was no one saying anything!?

“Alright, that’s everyone!” Mrs. Greenewell announced quite cheerfully. Oh great, she had been the last one, too… “It’s almost the end of lunch time, so go on! You’ll find out who got a part tomorrow during the morning announcements, so look forward to that! I’ll see you all later on.”

“ **That was amazing** !?” Chandler suddenly spat out, falling out of his seat to talk to Fate, who jumped at least two feet high off her seat from being talked too so loudly, so suddenly. “You  **better** get the solo part for the grade three’s! If you don’t, I’ll punch the winner!”

“Don’t do that.” Aiden reasoned with him, protectively holding Melina away despite her ecstatic giggling.

“I’ve  **never** heard that song be sung better by anyone but Elvis himself--but only because he’s the original.” Chara explained, still looking partially in shock.

_ I’d be scared in a competition against you! _ Frisk told her with a bright smile.

_ No, I was really bad. I’m still very anxious. I won’t get chosen, trust me--not with my stalling at the beginning. _ Fate excused, slouching down in her seat before getting up quickly.  _ Class starts soon. I’m going. _

She never wanted to do something like that ever again.

 

* * *

Home was the best place Dacian could think of. The couch was an even better place to think of, and to be there after such a harrowing mission, Dacian felt blessed… He would feel much more blessed if he was curled up with his husband or even alone, but no. His team was here, planning more missions to gather necessary items, and Brian was in the kitchen making tea. Instead of sitting next to his husband, he was stuck sitting next to the girl who made fun of his accent, and while he thought these missions were supposed to be fun and all, they really weren’t. They invaded his personal time and ruined his ability to think straight because he just threw himself into dangerous missions, which was just stupid even though he turned out perfectly fine and successful most of the time.

“Okay, Clay, do you see the guardians right here?” Rovia questioned, pointing to three spots on the map. Clay gave a nod, and then Rovia continued on. “You can shock them. We have the tools for that. You’ll just go in when we give the signal and be like--” Rovia made finger guns and effect sounds for shooting them, in which Clay raised her hand in questioning.

“Can I ask  **why** ?” Clay asked, in which Dacian let out a groan while clicking the led out of a mechanical pencil.

“Just fockin’ do it!” He snapped at her, not happy about his home being invaded in the slightest, and she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat.

“I’m not gonna do it, then.” She told them. Abner let out a small chuckle, and Dacian frowned at her.

“You’re like a teenage daughter!” Dacian insulted, even though she didn’t even feel insulted and it wasn’t even much of an insult in the first place. Rovia merely sighed and continued on, because Clay had to do what he said or she’d get kicked off the force. This was a matter of great urgency, and here some of their best officers were--messing around with each other.

“Abner’s going to activate the train--he’s gonna tell us when he does it--and as soon as the  **worm** gets hit, Clay’s going to shock the three guardians.” Rovia explained, insulting the leader of the group they were going to attack. Democracy hadn’t exactly worked, so here they were going… with a team that Rovia questioned being the best on the force. “Does everyone understand that?”

Everyone nodded as Brian came over with multiple mugs of tea and coffee and hot chocolate, sitting on the free side of his husband with a sigh of relief because he had been on his feet all day. Everyone thanked him as they picked up their mugs, all of them leaning back in their seats and staring at the map on the table in front of them; Dacian leaning against Brian with a heavy sigh because he had missed his husband, and Brian wrapping an arm around Dacian’s shoulders.

A lot of people didn’t seem to know that marriage wasn’t a ring worn or a paper signed, although both of those things had given the Harkin and the Niamh men great joy. It wasn’t something endured, but savored. It was the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice for the other’s happiness and wellbeing. That’s why they both worked so hard, doing the jobs they normally wouldn’t for the safety of the other.

“Must you be so perfect?” Brian questioned his husband softly after taking a sip of his coffee, rubbing Dacian’s back as he sighed with a shrug.

“I couldn’t be more perfect than ye.” Dacian responded, kissing his husband on the cheek, and then Abner gagged childishly, bringing the group to laugh. It was a good moment, one that unfortunately couldn’t last. “I wish things could stay like dis…”

“... We have a war to get ready for, and a war to fight.” Brian responded despite wanting so badly to agree. “We’ll still be together by the end of it. They won’t win.”

“... Hopefully.” Abner wanted to agree, staring down into hs mug of hot chocolate with a small frown.

The group went silent, drinking from their mugs, and tried to enjoy the moment while it lasted. It would still be a little while until the war would begin, after all… Why not enjoy the last little while with every ounce of their beings?

Or what was left of them, at least.


	9. That Fuckin' Wagon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soloists for the Winter Concert are announced. Toriel takes Frisk, Chara and Fate shopping for said Winter Concert before reminiscing on some things, and she's Best Goat Mom. Brian and Dacian return with a look back into an earlier year, and an odd force finally making its way into Ebott--but undetected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy with myself and I shouldn't be.
> 
> Please enjoy.

“ _ Good morning Willow Creek Elementary. I’m your principal, Mr. Sophoclaus and these are your morning announcements. _ ”

“Listen up everyone! He’s going to announce the solo winners!” Chandler yelled, flapping his hands dangerously and swinging her legs only to kick Jaylynne’s chair multiple times. She didn’t seem to mind, honestly.

“Then shut up!” Keisha yelled back, and before Ms. Cotler could open her mouth, Fate had, slamming her little paws against her desk after curling them into fists.

“ **Shut up** !” Fate snapped, mostly at Keisha, and no one dared to speak after that. She was nervous--no, anxious--no,  **terrified** . She didn’t know if she even wanted to be a soloist, but her poor little brain was just squeezing agonizingly while she scratched at her arms from over her bandages.

It was the same as last time, all about the Halloween goodie-bags and it made Fate think about Chara throwing up on the playground--zippidy-doo-da!! Then, Mr. Sophoclaus went on and on about a bunch of other stuff Fate didn’t really care about, until Cass yelled over something about the prices of the winter concert tickets and limited seating.

“ **WHUP-TEE-DOO** !” Cass exclaimed, raising her voice and throwing her little arms up in the air angrily. She was just irritated, as was the whole class. The whole school was most likely just screaming to hear who had won the spots of soloist.

Then, it came out of nowhere.

“ _ And now I can announce the soloists for the upcoming Winter Concert, out of a jar full of strips of names from Mrs. Greenewell. Thank you, Mrs. Greenewell, both for the jar and for keeping tensions high. _ ”

“ **Hurry up** !” Keisha screamed at the speakerphone, and Ms. Cotler put her head in her hands, letting out a sigh at how uncontrollable and impatient her class was. She couldn’t handle it…

“ _ From Kindergarten--Melina Binchdt! _ ” The loud screeching from the Kindergarten class could be heard, and from a simple exchanged glance between Chandler and Fate, they knew it was Melina, Maggie, Leo and Lena screeching in unison. Good for Melina. Linda had probably fallen out of her seat, and Fate knew that Chara would  **pay** to see that.

“ _ From Grade Two, Logan Valerio! _ ” Fate didn’t know who that was, but congratulations to him.

“ _ From Grade Seven, Cara Velaquez! _ ” A sea of cheers from the Grade Six/Seven classroom rang out, leaving the rest of the school silent as Mr. Sophoclaus continued.

“ _ From Grade One, Felix Bayer! _ ” A confused shriek pierced the ears of everyone. Why must the Grade One and Two classroom be so close to the office?

“ _ From Grade Six, Aiden Binchdt! _ ” Fate couldn’t help but feel proud of the boy. She also couldn’t help but think that Linda might’ve been having a heart attack at this very moment, and she heard Chandler laughed a little bit at the yelling from the Grade Six/Seven room. No doubt that Chara was throwing a happy fit and probably putting Frisk in a headlock.

“ _ From Grade Four, Chandler Rose! _ ” Despite hating loud noises, Chandler screamed. His knees hit the bottom of his desk, one of his shoes flew off, and his arms went as high as his tone while he jumped up and down in his seat. Everyone else was having a great time, congratulating him and cheering and clapping… but Fate just felt anxious. Chandler got a solo part, but that didn’t mean she did. If she did, what would she even  **do** …?

“ _ From Grade Five, Jasmine Pickering! _ ” More cheering and screaming went down the hallways, and a couple of the kids in the class cheered for her.

Last but not least, here came the Grade Three soloist… Keisha had already stood up to bow and Fate couldn’t help but sit up on her knees, leaning over her desk a bit in a wonder of which one of the eight year olds had actually gotten the part.

“ _ And from Grade Three, Fate Dreemurr! That’s all for your morning announcements, all soloists must report to the auditorium at lunch today to see Mrs. Greenewell. Have a good day, everyone! _ ”

Fate couldn’t handle the shrieking coming from Keisha or the cheering from most of the kids around her, congratulating her and commenting on how they didn’t even know that she had auditioned or was talented at all besides with breaking bones in the middle of a classroom. She really wished they’d stop talking about that… and she felt much better about this than she had about breaking Keisha’s noodle-like arm. She felt like she could burst out into song and feel good about it--although she wouldn’t go that because that was weird and this wasn’t some sort of musical.

She felt content with herself for once, and she was going to enjoy it.

 

* * *

Lunch was tantalizing. Fate spent three minutes pacing back and forth outside the auditorium doors, thinking about just how much Keisha wanted her dead. Of course, there had been no  **real** threats yet, but all of the glaring and the name-calling… Not only had Fate broken her arm, but Fate had taken her spot in the Winter Concert. So, of course, Fate was sure that Keisha would kill her. Nonetheless, after pondering about her life choices for a good five minutes, Fate finally made her way into the auditorium, finding that she was the last one there. Oh no, what if she had held up the line? What if she got kicked out, what if--

“Good afternoon, Fate! Please, sit!” Mrs. Greenewell greeted, just taking a seat of her own.

Without knowing anyone else, Fate sat with the little group of Aiden, Melina, Jasmine and Chandler, picking and pulling at the bandages around her arms, which made for a weird sight due to her long sleeves and constant need of having to cover her left paw due to her missing fingers. She didn’t know how to do these kinds of things. She didn’t know what she was going to do.

“So, now that you’re all here, let me explain that each and every one of you will be reading a story--” Mrs. Greenewell motioned to a small table with piles of little booklets. “Or singing a Christmas related song of some sort--” She then motioned to another small table, full of piles of sheets. Probably music sheets. Most likely music sheets. “I want to to pick out which you’ll be doing, and then pick one story or one song to perform. Please let me know your choice next Wednesday, and then we’ll be practicing every Thursday during lunch. So on, so on… Go ahead! Jump.”

The students all got up, some going for stories and others going for songs, and Fate didn’t know what to do, so she simply sat there, even as the other kids started to leave. Singing was what got her in, so… just maybe…

Heading up to the table with the song sheets, she just grabbed a whole pile of mixed up songs, and then ran to the door, going towards the cafeteria.

Frisk would help her.

 

* * *

Chandler had decided that, even with a solo part, concerts were complete and utter  **shit** . Out of nowhere, quite rudely, the principal had been convinced by a  _ very certain someone whom Chandler wanted to rip into the throat of _ to make it a rule for girls to wear skirts and boys to wear pants at the concert. Not including the dumb dress shirts and dumb vests, it was hell.

It was  **especially** hell when Chandler was told that he’d have to wear a skirt because he was born female. Curse his feminine genitalia… He’d wear a skirt whenever he wanted to, not for some  **stupid** concert…

Suits were shitty, too. He knew that from his Aunt’s wedding. Just the thought of a suit made Chandler shiver. Maybe a skirt wouldn’t be so bad...

 

* * *

“This is stupid!”  
_Fate--_  
“No, I agree.”

Toriel couldn’t handle her children. She decided on it now, in the middle of some damned store, that she couldn’t handle her three adopted children. They were just too much. Nonetheless, they were her children and there was no backing out in being a parent, so she stuck through it by biting her tongue and giving an award-winning smile.

“I don’t want to wear short sleeves!” Fate snapped at her own reflection, pulling at the short-sleeved dress shirt Toriel had found in her size. She could find a long-sleeved one…

“Why do we have to wear skirts again? Linda said some shit, didn’t she?” Chara questioned, causing their Mother to frown at their choice of words. “Honestly, skirts  **suck** .”

_ They’re not too bad. _ Frisk disagreed with a slight shrug, twirling around happily in theirs while Chara picked at their skirt and Fate kept kicking her legs up too far for it to be appropriate. Toriel had a quick thought of having to talk to Mr. Sophoclaus about that because she just wouldn’t stop and there was already too much flying around about the poor cat…

“I hate rules.” Fate suddenly told them, pulling at her skirt in an awkward angle as she bounced around. Chara gave a nod in agreement as Frisk sighed at their siblings, and Toriel finally spoke up.

“Let’s find Fate a long-sleeved shirt and purchase these, then we’ll go get donuts and hot cocoa.” She decided, gaining cheers of agreement from the three children as they rushed back into their separate changing rooms to remove the awful clothing.

“Fate, about your solo, Frisk and I had a chat!” Chara called through the thin changing room walls. “We have a  **great** idea that we can discuss over our donuts and hot chocolate! You’re going to love it!”

Fate hoped that Chara was right… and that they could find a long-sleeved shirt, maybe one that was baggy, because there was  **no way** she was going to show off the bandages on her arms or her missing fingers so simply. That would start more rumors, and Fate  **hated** when people assume random things about her. None of them even bothered to ask her if any of them were actually true.

School was dumb, but it was also okay… It was dokay. That made no sense, but she couldn’t find it in herself to really care.

Once they had all changed, and found a long-sleeved shirt for Fate, the Dreemurr family, minus a goat Dad and a sentient flower, left the store in a hurry to go gets donuts and hot cocoa. Fate wasn’t used to sweet foods or drinks, but she liked them an exceptional amount, which brought Chara and Frisk forward to always head straight for their favorite shops when it came to sweets of any kind.  After buying donuts and hot cocoa, with the weird request from Fate to add cinnamon to her hot drink while Frisk simply wanted sprinkles and Chara wanted a chocolate drizzle, Toriel couldn’t help but just fall into the nearest seat, wondering why she had insisted that she didn’t need any help to take the kids shopping. She deeply regretted it now, but even so, she was happy to have them getting along instead of at each other’s throats. She was still trying to decide whether or not she needed to talk to Dr. Tukker about Fate’s behavior because maybe it was just her.

What scared her was the fact that the poor child couldn’t control it. Another thing that gave her a slight fright was how she couldn’t change the way some people viewed monsters. It seemed, so simply, that a year living amongst humans and being accepted by most of the population wasn’t enough for some people/ She had been quite astonished to reach the surface only to find that humans had been fighting each other simply over certain views. Who they wished to love, the skin color they were born with, who they wished to be… She couldn’t understand any of it.. What was the deal, she always thought and neer voiced, how do this affect the way you choose to live your life? Such as humans, monsters were each unique in their very own way, but monsters never discriminated against each other for who they loved or whatever their gender was or what kind of monster they were. They were just monsters.

Even on the surface, Toriel found herself feeling just as confused as she was in the underground. One thing she never felt since reaching the surface was hopeless, though. She refused to give up on the hope of a better future for her children and their children, and many generations to come. Since birth, they had all done the same thing:  **learn** . They would continue to learn, and even if she wasn’t around to see it, she just hoped that there could be a day where no one looked at another person and thought of them as unnatural…

Speaking of unnatural, why was Chara drinking their hot chocolate with a straw…?

 

* * *

Ah, Arrowebott High School, Class of 20Z0…

Dacian didn’t know why he was being all sentimental at the moment, but since brian didn’t mind, they were going through the old box labeled as “ **Graduation** ”. They hadn’t touched it since they packed up and moved into their own apartment together, but at least it had some sort of meaning--and it was getting some use now. Brian’s old soccer clothing, all of the pair of men’s report cards, a bunch of old school photos, a couple of old yearbooks… but their graduation yearbook was what they found and just  **had** to go through.

Vinnie Jekyll   
Best Eyes

“Ah, luk at ‘er. I miss ‘er.” Dacian sighed, getting a nod from Brian as the slightly older male took a seat from emptying the box full of old high school memories to sit with his husband, an arm wrapping around his shoulders as Dacian leaned into him. “Vinnie was a wonderful lass.”

Vinnie always had the best personality as well as the best eyes, honestly. She never discriminated against Brian and Dacian, or anyone really. She was much better than half of their grade.

Ryeluen Sakutaro   
Best Hair

“There’s Rye. You think he’s with his daughter right now, or working?” Brian questioned, letting Dacian think for a moment before getting a response.

“He's probably workin’ a job dat his daughter can constantly visit ‘im with.” Dacian replied, gaining a nod of agreement from his husband. “I also heard dat he’s a single owl lad now.”

“His bitch of a wife left?” Brian asked, sounding a little surprised before grinning smugly. “Good for him, honestly. He deserves the freedom, as well as that best hair award. His hair is long and luxurious, more so than Rovia's--and that’s saying something with Rovia's whole “Jesus” look.”

Diana Bredan   
Best Car

“Ah, come on, we had an impala!” Brian groaned, leaning his head on Dacian’s, who laughed a bit.

“We all now she “bribed” de principal for dat.” Dacian responded, casing Brian to snort and laugh out loud for the world to hear because his husband was right. That was something Diana would do, and had probably done.

Elizabeth-Michelle Williams   
Biggest Delinquent

“I remember gettin’ punched in de face by ol’ Liz.” Dacian reminded himself before glancing up at Brian.  “I remember you gettin’ punched in de face by ‘er as well. She broke yisser smeller.”

“It definitely hurt.” Brian agreed, twitching his nose a bit before pointing to a familiar face on the page.

Helen Succorkit   
Best Voice

“Ah, ‘elen! She was so kind, but she was always followin’ day wagon aroun’!” Dacian exclaimed, bringing Brian to point to another familiar face.

Linda Binchdt   
Biggest Drama Queen

“Aye, dat wagon! She was so Homophobic an’ used Christian religion as an excuse for ‘er jerkface tripe!” Dacian remembered, frowning as Brian simply lost himself in laughter over Dacian’s insults. He may have been Irish as well, but he was raised out of Ireland, so his accent wasn’t as thick as his husband’s. “She was brutal.”

“I heard she’s a teacher now. She’s also married and has three children.” Brian added, simply to ensure more rage from Dacian, in which he succeeded.

“What is de problem with de fuckin’ school system!? She probably hurts those kids! Those stoney broke kids, gran’ lord…” Dacian sighed, rubbing his hands over his face before continuing. “Her husband is either regrettin’ his decisions, dense, or just as brutal! Her kids will grow up awfully! They might get kicked out of de house! What a fuckin’ wagon!! Linda Binchdt--no, ‘tis Linda Bitch.”

Brian couldn’t help the oncoming laughing fit he went through. He loved his husband more than anything in the world, and he absolutely hated Linda for all the bullshit she pulled on them back in high school. However,, even with many words thrown at them--not to mention a couple of high heels and beauty products, in which Brian showed up the next day with  **killer** eyeliner--Dacian and Brian still got one of the best spots they could have hoped for in the yearbook.

Brian Harkin & Dacian Niamh   
Cutest Couple

“... We  **are** the cutest couple, even after all these years.” Brian insisted after Dacian had calmed down from his hilarious outrage. “I still love you just as much, if not more.”

“Aw… That’s sweet of ye, love. I love ye just as much as seven years ago as well. That’s why we wear our rings.” Dacian said with a smile, gaining a smile from Brian in response. “You’re de cuter one, though.”

“No…” Brian trailed off sarcastically with a shake of his head, bringing Dacian to laugh a bit before things went silent and the married couple simply sat there, content with each other.

“... I love ye with all me ‘eart, Brian. I’ll never stop, even when I’m six feet under.” Dacian reassured his husband, curling against him. It sounded more like he was reassuring himself.

“... Let’s hope neither of us die because we all know neither heaven nor hell will take our gay asses.” Brian joked solemnly, rubbing his husband’s back and leaning against him slightly. “... I love you, too. Until forever becomes never.”

With the yearbook lying open on the living room coffee table, Dacian and Brian got lost to the world of comforting slumber, curled up with each other on the couch. They didn’t notice when the yearbook pages started flipping, and they didn’t notice when the yearbook pages stopped flipping on a certain memorial page.

Zorina Abrue   
May 7th, 19RY - March 30th, 20Z0


	10. The Hallow's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween Eve... and it's Halloween!!  
> The Dreemurr's throw a Halloween party, we get a little insight on the Allyn family, and the police are hard at work--what more is there to say?
> 
> Other than DISCLAIMER: a couple mentionings of candy may make you hungry and mentionings of titties that may confuse you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween in September.
> 
> I'm super excited for Halloween, tbh, and I wanted to do a Halloween chapter instead of just skipping right to Christmas times, so here you go! Not much of a surprise, I know, but take it!
> 
> Lots of.. well, sorta foreshadowing in this on. There's a bit of foreshadowing, and then there's plain ol' plot movement.
> 
> Enjoy my non-creativity.

_6:05 A.M., October 30th, 20ZT_ _  
__Life is very frail. It never ceases to amaze me at the amount of different dangers there are to the heart. To us, an ant is fragile. To the universe, we are fragile. Just like an ant, we would be crushed beneath the universe’s boot if we were stepped upon. We are not strong. We are not invincible. There are so many ways to get hurt. So many ways to die. So many ways to be changed forever. So many ways to never go back to who you once were._ _  
__The universe is such a beautiful, tragic discovery that will never be entirely solved. Too many questions with not enough answers to suffice the crave for human knowledge. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I don’t believe in a God, but I know that there is something of a greater power out there. Something out here has already determined what will become of each of us._ _  
_**_The universe is in control. We are the puppets._**

 

* * *

11:30 A.M., October 30th, 20ZT

Eating lunch had always been enjoyable, but with friends and family, it was even better.

Over the course of the last week, a group of friends and family sort of melded together at Willow Creek Elementary. The Dreemurr’s, the Pickering’s, the Cameron’s, the Rose’s, two of the Binchdt’s, and an Ashe all sat together at a lunch table, willingly talking with each other through words or sign language and getting along completely well. It was an odd sight, and quite the target for some gossip and rumors, but it was a warm feeling for some of them. The Cameron’s had just moved here, after all, and Maggie, Melina, Leo and Lena had just started school, so it was the best warm feeling they could’ve asked for.

And today, they had a specific topic: Halloween. While few of them didn’t quite know just yet and were going to do last minute shopping, few of them actually  **did** know what they were going to dress up as.

“Jason from Friday the 13th, duh.” Chara had decided much earlier in the year, taking a bite out of their sandwich. “I know a bunch of people will do it, but I still want to. I’d make a killer Jason.”

**_Killer_ ** _. _ Frisk repeated, bringing awareness to Chara’s accidental pun.  _ I think I’ll just go around in a skeleton onesie and a tutu. I’m not quite sure for this year. _ There was a pause before they suddenly remembered.  _ Oh yah! We’ve decided to have a Halloween party at our house this year! You’re all invited. After you go trick-or-treating, you can just come over in your costumes and all, and there’ll be snacks and games and a lot of fun! My Mom will be calling your parents to let you know our address--although, Aiden and Melina, I’ll just text you and you both can come over since your Mom will be too hammered to care. _

The sad reality of that statement was that it was the truth.

“Following in Chara’s footsteps with “overly done costumes”, I think I’ll be going as the Grim Reaper.” Danny decided, a bit busy trying to finish up his due-this-afternoon math homework instead of eating his lunch. He was going to be hungry later, but it was better than disappointing Ms. Carpenter.

“I’m going as Rin Okumura from Blue Exorcist.” Chandler told everyone, snacking on his grapes happily. “It’s simple and it’s going to be fun.” Maggie already seemed to be dreaming of her costume. “Maggie wants to run around in an inflatable T-Rex costume. Mom said that she’d gladly pick one up after work today.”

Neither of the Binchdt’s seemed to know what they were going to yet, alongside Amber and all of the Pickering’s. And yet, simply, they just figured “Oh well”. They would figure something out. They still had half a day left, after all.

 

* * *

9:35 P.M., October 31st, 20ZT

Between the hoods of the cold cars ran children in costumes. On this dark Halloween night, there was only weak moonlight and the aging lampposts for illumination. The warmth of the summer left a fortnight ago, but it was only tonight for the first time since last winter that anyone could feel the frigid concrete through the soles of their shoes. The air flew through the fabric of their clothes just like it did in the summer and early fall, but now everyone couldn’t help but finally notice it. It was a good night for all of the kids, dressed up and gathering free candy.

The only teen not having the best time was Marcel Finnian-Constendell. He just wanted to go out and spend his time photographing all of the Trick-or-Treaters and the Halloween mood of nature, but instead he just got uncomfortable supernatural energy everywhere. He would’ve gotten uncomfortable visits as well, if it weren’t for Tyler hissing them away. Tyler wouldn’t let any other spirit of any sort take away his human at any time, even after death, and Marcel figured that  was the only good thing about having a demon attached to his SOUL. As the grotesque, disfigured, unsmiling ghouls flew around him, far enough away so Tyler couldn’t hurt them and close enough to annoy Marcel, the eighteen year old with light, tawny brown skin simply began his walk home with a sigh.

“What a flop…” Marcel sighed, in which Tyler merely hummed in response. If Tyler could shrug right now, he would.

**_Not your fault this time, Marshmallow Titties. The Hallow’s Night is exactly that--the supernatural magnet._ ** Tyler told him, being just as annoying as per usual.

Marcel only continued down the sidewalk, sighing at Tyler’s nickname for him. It was because of his hat--soft, white, and adorning perky little ears, much like Finn’s from Adventure Time. Marcel aspired to be like Finn, just free and doing as he pleased, but with Tyler and his responsibilities… There was no way it would happen.

October 31st, and the wind was sufficient enough to make the trees moan. Late into the autumn that everyone was, the leaves were either loose on the ground or hanging by the loosest of threads, whirling like the confetti for the wedding of a ghoul. The strange thing, that Marcel didn’t find strange because he was well aware that Halloween was the time of breaking the barrier between the human and spirit world, was that there was no mention of the gale on the internet, the television, or the radio. There were no weather warnings at all.

When the night came to Cemetery Ave, the road was always at fever pitch. Given the street’s name and the proximity to the graveyard, Marcel’s family and all of their neighbours put on the best show in the whole town of Ebott. The ends of the street was blocked to cars and children moved about like water currents, making small eddy’s at the pumpkin lanterns. Jack-o-lanterns were curious to Marcel, a vestige of the childish brain seeking faces in the inanimate. They clung to them, vegetable “teddy bears” with their features glowing into the final eve of October.

Marcel simply went home, weeding through a group of children to get through his front door with a light laugh, sending a bright smile to his Father who was currently putting on the best pirate acting Ebott had ever seen. Lui Finnian-Constendell was currently Ebott’s best Halloween actor, always putting maximum effort into his outfits and his front of whatever or whoever he was. One year he had gone as Lady Gaga. Marcel couldn’t help but laugh at that memory alongside Tyler, who actually quite liked Marcel’s Dad. Marcel’s Stepmom, Noelle Finnian-Constendell, was quite likeable as well, being a twin pirate with her husband and always smiling brightly no matter whether it was her stepson or the bunches of children that happily came to the door for free candy.

Marcel went up to his room the first chance he got, closing and locking the door behind him before jumping online to contact his team.

His parents didn’t have to know what he did as a legal job anyways.

 

* * *

Destiny and Cass didn’t usually celebrate Halloween, as their parents wouldn’t allow it. They called it an invite for the supernatural, a time of deathly encounters, and by far the worst human holiday they had ever heard of--so the Allyn twins didn’t get to celebrate. Instead, they simply ended up staying at home, watching scary movies and eating popcorn because their parents also despised candy. Their older siblings got to go out and have a great time, only because they just needed their parent’s permission to go out without having to say anything about what they were doing, so the fraternal twins just got to have an awful time inside their stuffy home hoping for their scary movies to actually be scary.

They really weren’t. They were actually quite awful, but neither of the twins dared to say anything out of fear that their parents would hear and call them ungrateful.

Halloween sucked as much as real life did.

 

* * *

Fate didn’t know why she wasn’t in her room. She hated social situations and she disliked people she didn’t know very well, yet she was very excited in an anxious way for the Halloween party Frisk and Chara decided to throw--and very excited in an especially anxious way to see those who had been invited. She had helped Toriel with some of the baking--the swampy brown cupcakes, the pumpkin-shaped cookies, the cake pops that she specifically decided to call “Monster Pops”--since she didn’t feel brave enough to go Trick-or-Treating with her siblings.

Toriel didn’t mind. If anything, the witchy-witch of the Dreemurr household was very happy for the help.

While the whole town of Ebott--besides the police department, of course--seemed to put intense effort into their costumes, Fate wasn’t sure of what or who to be, so she didn’t. She simply picked up a couple of things when she and Toriel went shopping after school, and put them on when she got home before helping with the baking. It was just a dark gray sweater-shirt-type-thing with a light gray hood that had a pair of very dark gray horns on top, on either side, and a black skirt decorated with little Halloween-type-things in blue--alongside a pair of black and white striped stockings and little brown boots. It wasn’t the best, but it also wasn’t the worst in any sort of way you might think.

She certainly liked it. It wasn’t over-kill like some of the kids who had come to the door all adorned in fake blood and screaming the same words over and over again.

When Frisk and Chara returned with Asgore in tow--one skeleton with a tutu, one Friday the 13th serial killer, and one Franken-Goat-Dad--that’s when the decorations started going up and the big bowl was placed on the table for all of the kids to dump their candy into. At the end of the party, when the parents came to pick them up and Toriel would drive Aiden and Melina back home, the leftover candy would be sorted and put back into bags for them all to take back home.

Showing up first were two recognizable skeletons that didn’t have anything to do that night. They were recognizable not only because of size, but because one of them was dressed as a mummy and the other simply had a shirt on reading “Error 404: Costume Not Found”. It was pretty simple to tell who was who, and Papyrus was the first to dump a bunch of candy into the big candy bowl as Toriel started bringing out the now decorated snacks. Frisk was on movie duty, Asgore and Chara on decorations duty, and Fate just went upstairs to bring Flowey down since he was a part of the fun as well. So, you could say that Fate was on Flowey duty. It was actually a thing, believe it or not.

And then came the first knock of the night. The doorbell was for Trick-or-Treaters, and the door was for the knocking of party-goers.

Arriving was none other than Danny and Amber Cameron, their bags of candy full and their costumes quite wonderful. Danny had gone as he said, the Grim Reaper, and Amber had shown up as an angel--a peculiar pair. When Fate had answered the door, since she was on duty of doing that for the party-goers while Toriel answered the door for Trick-or-Treaters, she couldn’t help but tilt her head a bit and crack out a joke.

_ Are you both competing over who will take my SOUL? ‘Cause it isn’t here. _ She told them, gaining a snort from Danny as Amber simply smiled.

“Happy Cosplay Day!” Danny greeted from behind his mask, gaining a short and sweet smile from Fate.

Letting the siblings in and closing the door behind the three of them, the Cameron’s were welcomed into the household and dumped their candy into the big candy bowl. It was now an initiation of sorts, it seemed. Putting the proper movies aside, Frisk started to run up and down the stairs carrying things down such as the planned games and even more boxes of decorations despite the house already being decked out. There was no such thing as too much Halloween apparently, and no such thing to Danny as not helping out by suggesting some spooky video games, in which Frisk thought was a great idea.

It was going to be one hell of a Halloween, whether Fate wanted it to be or not.

Next to the door were the Rose’s, in which one T-Rex scared the shit out of Fate with her roar the moment the door was opened and one boy in a school uniform with a pretend wrapped-up sword on his back scolded her for doing such. Nonetheless, Chandler and Maggie were allowed in, both of them dumping their candy into the big candy bowl even though Chandler kept one of his full-sized candy bars to himself because his Mom had given it to him before he went Trick-or-Treating and it was his favorite chocolate bar of all time. It was quite fair, to be honest.

Right behind the Rose’s were a pair of Binchdt’s as Disney icons--one big Mickey Mouse and one little Minnie Mouse. It was adorable, and both Binchdt’s gladly poured the bags into the big candy bowl, just happy to have been invited to something for once. Their Mom’s reputation kind of affected theirs, after all.

Moments later came the best costumes Fate had seen all night from the Pickering siblings the moment they had arrived. Despite her glow in the dark hair, Adar pulled off a great Jasper from Steven Universe. In fact, all the Pickering's pulled off great gems from Steven Universe. Jasmine pulled off a great Lapis and with their height, Lena and Leo each respectfully as Ruby and Sapphire was a wonderful sight. Fate wasted no time in letting them in, and Frisk wasted no time putting a disk in the PS4 and handing the remote to Danny, ushering everyone to sit down after they grabbed handfuls of candy and all. Fate simply grabbed a couple of cookies and took a seat between Danny and the edge of the couch where Flowey was placed on the side table just below her.

“Nice SUCT cosplays.” Danny complimented the Pickering’s, who all took their seats in front of the couch happily. Everyone gave Danny a weird look besides his younger sister, and he simply shrugged. “Long story--don’t sweat it.”

They all decided to do as he suggested and not sweat it.

Fate didn’t know much about video games, but when one was labeled “ **Little Nightmares** ”, she knew it was most likely going to be anything but pleasant.

“You know, there’s the Ferryman in the comics from this game called Fate.” Danny suddenly told her as the game loaded. “He kidnaps children and brings them to the Maw, where the kids are fed to the Guests.”

_ Sounds interesting. _ She responded as she took a bite out of one of her cookies. They were soft, yet hard at the same time, which is what you’d want for cookies. She felt a little proud because of the way they had turned out, and heard Danny snort over the fact that Toriel had dropped a bowl due to their conversation. Fate didn’t understand why. The main screen loaded, and Fate noticed the main character on the screen.  _ I have a raincoat and a lighter like that. _

“Maybe you should be Six for Halloween next year.” Danny suggested, clicking the “Start New Game” option as Fate shrugged. “Amber was supposed to go as her this year, me as the Janitor and our Mom as the Lady--you’ll understand after I play--but it didn’t turn out. It’s alright, though.”

Fate gave a simple nod, thinking about Danny’s suggestion.

It was quite an okay idea.

 

* * *

The cemetery was a jumble of stones, as if the burial places were chosen by throwing the shovel in the air and digging where it landed. They sat at jaunty angles to one another, no two of them the same shape or size. The boughs of the cemetery twisted like contorted bones, writhing in a silent scream. Beneath them laid some cold stones, each marking a dwelling place in which no one was home. Brian was never bothered by the howl of the wind until he had to traverse through that damned cemetery, in which then it became all he could hear.

He couldn’t miss the marshmallow titty hat in the distance, sitting on the garden wall at the edge of the cemetery, and so he made his way right on over to Marcel Finnian-Constendell, who greeted him with a bright smile.

“Happy Halloween, Officer Harkin.” The young African-American adult greeted cheerfully as Brian sat beside him on the garden wall, waiting for the others. “It’s quite the night to be meeting up, don’t you think?”

“This was your idea, lad.” Brian reminded him with a sigh. They were more than a decade apart in age, and yet they could talk freely with each other because of the poor situation they had been thrown into. “.. You really need to get rid of that hat. You stick out like a sore thumb!”

“Nuh-uh!” Marcel disagreed, putting his hands on his head so Brian wouldn’t possibly take it and throw it. “My hat makes me one hundred percent bulletproof.” Brian gave him a look that made Marcel pause before speaking up again. “I do  **not** want to test that either, Brian!”

“‘Appy ‘alloween, dear husband an’ Marcel!”  
“Good evening, you pair.”

Here came Dacian and Rovia, who probably met up on their way to the cemetery. Behind the pair of men came none other than Clay and Abner, with a pair of college students behind them who were relevant to the case. One was a tall, averagely-built boy with a wavy mop of brown hair and hazel brown eyes, while the other was an average-heighted girl with shoulder-length auburn brown hair and bright blue eyes. Hamza Blanchard, Abner’s younger cousin, and Mabel Kasser, Hamza’s college roommate.

“Hey, nice to see y’all!” Marcel greeted just as cheerfully as he had with Brian, who jumped off the garden wall to share a quick kiss with his husband due to neither of them seeing each other since they left for work that morning.

Next came the deadly trio, or so Brian liked to call them, of Adam Maalouf, Cathy Dixon, and Jordan Marone. Right behind them were Cathy’s two younger brothers, Daniel and Philiciano. They went by Dan and Phil, which was iconic and a running joke even though they were not two British weebs living in an apartment together who were possibly in a romantic situation or just very good friends, but thousands of people shipped them anyways much to the annoyance of others. Nope, just Dan and Phil Dixon, a pair of brothers who loved each other in a way that only brothers should.

“Good evening, all of you.” Cathy greeted kindly as her brothers play-fought behind her. She paid no attention to them, and neither did Jordan or Adam.

After them came a running man screaming his head off because his twin sister was running after him, all dressed up in the Halloween costume of Jason from Friday the 13th. Once again, iconic, and it actually scared the shit out of all of them when the curly, dark brown-haired male with tanned olive skin came running with one hand out in front of him and one hand on his favorite soft red hat. When his twin sister removed her mask, losing her mind wheezing over everyone’s reaction to her sudden appearance, her shoulder-length dark brown hair was revealed to have a dark purple bang and her eyes were the same dark brown as her brother’s.

These were Anthony and Laura Daznews, aliases Chilled and Minx due to an incident from when they were younger, also based on their own personal abilities. You could only imagine from there. Chilled was also the more timid, chill twin, while Minx had a fast-growing fire in her SOUL.

After the Daznews twins appeared, a man in his early thirties with dark brown hair, a small, growing beard, and a pair of dark brown eyes showed up with a woman who had mid-back length red hair that stammered between dark and bright alongside a pair of light brown eyes. Maximus Gaine, or Maxim as he preferred, and Renee Nacci, a pair of retired detectives who uncovered one of the biggest drownings in Ebott and an awful food poisoning situation that happened a couple of years back. They were still on file and willing to work, but for the right cause--and this was one of the biggest cases they could have ever hoped to work on.

The last group arrived--one man and three women--all looking ready for business.

One was Shiloh Magnolia, a dirty blonde haired beauty with dark brown eyes and a figure ready for kicking ass whenever necessary. She was well-known for using twin pistols and bringing people to confess the truth during interrogations with merely a couple of words, and one stern look.

Second was Imani Mueller, a dark-skinned, dark-haired, and dark-eyed woman with the brightest of smiles--and the brightest of clothing choices. She was known as the crazy cat lady because she owned one and claimed she could converse with animals, although cats were much easier to do so with. She also confessed to practicing witchcraft due to living with Shiloh, but she was valuable to their mission because it was a high-end with magic.

Third was a bright blonde and bright blue-eyed woman by the name of Elizabeth-Michelle Williams, who many of them knew about her violent tendencies, but they also knew about all of the criminals she had caught in all the years of her serving time and her good shot with any gun you could give her. She was tall and her hair was long, so she always kept in in either a braid of a side-ponytail, and she always wore her uniform with pride--standing tall and standing strong.

And last, but most certainly not least, was Ryeluen Sakutaro, or Rye as he preferred. He had straight, mid-back length dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, a noticeable black hair tie resting on his right wrist because his hair was so long and could often get in the way. At any given moment, he could be attacked, so he kept the hair tie on him just in case he needed to tie his hair up, albeit he  **could** fight with his hair down if necessary. It was just hair. He was at least seven feet tall, if not more, which made him quite intimidating with how quiet he tended to be around strangers.

Without saying hello, Minx immediately started to speak.

“Any word from Jeremiah and Taryn yet?” She asked, her expression going serious as she crossed her arms over her chest. The funny thing was that she was shorter than Chilled, and a little chubbier as well, and yet he got on his knees to beg at any given threat from her. Minx was terrifying, to be fair.

“I heard that they just got Mitchell and they’re heading for our dear angel now.” Rovia responded a little sarcastically, something you didn’t usually hear from him. He wasn’t to keen on the idea of letting prisoners out, after all… “Any other news?”

“The stars are aligning quicker than we thought.” Jordan told him with a shrug, sticking his hands in his pocket. “Sooner than later, we’ll be facing what we’ve been so afraid of since we were children, sleeping in our little bedrooms.”

“We have more allies than we may think, remember that.” Cathy reminded all of them, adjusting her glasses at the same Dacian happened to. “When the time is right, everyone will come together.”

“I’m just glad for this alliance.” Adam stated before glancing up at Marcel, who still sat on the garden wall. “Especially for Marcel’s help--thank you--and that we’re bringing Mitchell and the danger angel in.”

“U, p-perhaps we should  **stop** calling her… “danger angel”...” Chilled suggested, shrinking under the attention brought to him by his suggestion. “... before she rips our heads off, y’know… just a thought…”

“Good thought.” Clay praised him sarcastically, bringing light laughter from the group, even from Chilled himself who simply shrugged a little bit at his anxiety. Law played a big part in that  **not** happening. “What else do we need to discuss?”

“The rising supernatural.” Marcel responded, finally jumping off of the garden wall and standing in the group circle. “There’s been too much lately. We have  **very** limited time. By the New Year, the attacks will most likely start.”

“We’ll have to be ready, then.” Renee stated as if it were that simple, but Maxim looked down at his girlfriend.

“It won’t just work so simply. We have to be coordinated--cooperative.” Maxim stated, looking over the whole group during his second sentence. They had to be coordinated. They had to be cooperative.

“We can do that.” Phil said optimistically with a shrug and a bright smile, while Dan seemed a little more pessimistic.

“If we don’t, we all die.” Dan stated simply, bringing a heavy silence over the group. He was correct, but he was blunt.

“On the other hand--” Hamza raised conversation again. “Mabel and I will be doing our best from the inside of Ebott College.” Mabel nodded ecstatically in agreement.

“We’ll find out as much as we can, and Abner will report back to you!” She told all of them, just as ecstatic with her words as she was with her actions.

“I will do that.” Abner repeated, agreeing with the younger girl as he nodded continuously, barely able to meet the eyes of anyone there besides his close partners and his cousin. Poor guy.

“I’ll stay around the station. See what I can do.” Shiloh decided, immediately perking up Imani and bringing her to enter the conversation.

“I’ll stay around town!” She volunteered cheerfully, raising her hand a bit to gather attention with something other than her voice. “While Shiloh does police work, I can do public work and find supernatural or magic hot spots, all that jazz.”

“Sounds good. I’ll stay running my shop, actually talk to customers a little more than for their purchases and money for once.” Rye decided, flicking his eyes over the group as they all nodded in agreement.

“I’ll stay with Shiloh around the station.” Liz decided, and no one argued with her. “All of you just work on tracking Jeremiah, Taryn, and the two troublemakers. Imani’s idea is a good one--do that--and I want to two homosexuals on duty to watch the little girl.”

Ignoring the “two homosexuals” part, Brian and Dacian squinted at the words of “little girl”.

“Who?” Brian questioned, not really understanding, and Dacian obviously looked confused with his scrunched up nose.

“The little girl.” Marcel responded, grabbing a photograph from his little bag of collected photographs. “I have a warrant from Rovia, so there’s no need to arrest me for taking pictures of a young girl just outside her home--helping with Halloween decorations. I followed through with the requirements--now you just need to do  **your** jobs while I continue mine.” The young teen turned towards Imani as the two Irishmen looked over the photo he had given them. “I’ll be around town with Tyler--this demon that’s attached to me because my biological Mother was demon, yada yada stuff I don’t wanna get into--to check for supernatural and magic hotspots as well. And for photography, because that’s my job. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Dis wee lassie is…” Dacian trailed off, taking the picture from his husband who still couldn’t understand. “... from  **there** ? She’s  **de one** ?”

“Yes.” Marcel responded simply and quickly. Dacian’s grip on the photo tightened, and Marcel felt a little bad. “She’s a target. She’s young, and she’s damaged. That makes her fragile, even though she’s quite capable of taking care of herself. You  **need** to keep an eye on her. She’s important. One wrong mishap and--”

“De plan goes to shoite. I’m aware.” Dacian cut him off softly, still staring at the picture with a frown on his face. “She will do what’s right… right?”

Making eye contact, Marcel gave him a look between stern and actually… afraid. He didn’t know. None of them knew. He spoke plainly, with a slight shake in his tone.

“... I hope so…” He said softly, clutching at his bags strap. Still staring deep into the eyes of Marcel Finnian-Constendell, Dacian swallowed thickly and gave a nod.

“... All we know is dat she will decide de fate of de Abaddon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOW WHAT A CHAPTER HAHAHA
> 
> P.S. I love Dan and Phil the weebs thing was a joke please do not hate me oh boy  
> Also, P.S., I start school tomorrow so updates will get slower. Oh boy.


	11. Once Upon A December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a big jump to the Winter Concert!  
> Christmas is nearing, a pair of siblings have some bonding time, Chara had no filter whatsoever, a PTA Mom storms angrily out of a Winter Concert, a gay husband is falling asleep at his desk more often, and Marcel was wrong.  
> Oh Lord, Marcel was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this chapter, tbh, and I hope you have fun reading. Because shit is going to start happening.
> 
> It's no longer fun a games, because someone has gotten hurt.

_Where do you go when home is a person who isn’t here anymore? You can love someone like there would be no tomorrow and one day, there wouldn’t be. And just because you’re breathing, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re alive. Sometimes suffering is just suffering. It doesn’t build character. It doesn’t make you strong. It just hurts._ _  
_ _We’re not supposed to let the world die. The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right, it’s all we’ll need._

 

* * *

 

 

The light from the computer monitor still lit up the room, softly flashing over the top of Brian’s sleeping head, where mussed up hair nestled firmly on top of his arms while he kept his nose burrowed in the crook of his elbow and tried to ignore the nudging presence at his side.

“Brian…” Seeped into his waking brain. He merely groaned and shifted in his sleep. “Brian…”

His eyes burned as he slit them open, the struggle real and his body feeling like it was made of lead, metal and steel, and he really couldn’t move at all. Through the blur of waking and the dimness of the room, he saw Dacian knelt beside him, the younger-by-months males dark hair disappearing into the shadows that framed him.

“Ye fell asleep at yisser desk, Brian…” Dacian whispered, one hand on the desk to support himself and the other slipped off somewhere into the darkness behind Brian, but he was too tired to care.

“Ah… fuck off…” Brian sighed, obviously being sarcastic due to being overtired, and Dacian merely chuckled, beginning to rise from his knelt position.

With his hands against the back of Brian’s chair, he put pressure there and began to pull the older male away from the desk, but like a bag of rocks, Brian clung to the table and buried his head further into the safe comfort of his own arms.

“Come on, Brian…” Dacian muttered, pushing lightly at the back of Brian’s shoulder to try and rouse him again.

But the lure of sleep was too heavy a thing to swim away from.

“... Come to bed before ye ‘urt yisser neck sleepin’ like dat.” Dacian whispered, leaning in close so his nose slipped between the hairs above Brian’s ear. Soft, warm breath stirred the hair before him as he waited, one hand rubbing Brian’s temple in small, tender circles. He brushed a stray lock of hair out of the other male’s eye and leaned in close again, his close breath sending Brian’s eyelashes fluttering, but he still refused to stir. “Come on now…”

“Fock…” Brian mumbled, his Irish accent popping in strongly as he sacrificed one of his arm pillows to wave at Dacian, as if to shoo him away.

But Dacian was sneaky and slipped into the now open space beneath the arm of his husband to press a kiss right on Brian’s nose, then the side of his mouth, watching as his lips cracked at the edges with a smile. It made him smile, rubbing his husband’s back.

“... I’ll brin’ you a blanket, Mr. ‘ard-worker…” Dacian decided softly, standing up straight and rubbing his husband’s back before disappearing into the dark edges of the dim room to grab a blanket. “Just to remind ye before ye completely pass out, we’ll be headin’ to de Willow Creek Elementary Winter Concert before headin’ to de winter festival tomorrow--as part of our job of course--so ‘ope an’ pray dat I washed de proper kinds of warm clothin’ for ye.”

Dacian always ended up doing the laundry. He always washed the right clothes and both men knew that, but Dacian still joked around about it. Throwing a blanket over his husband, Dacian pressed a kiss to one of Brian’s cheeks.

“Goodnight, love.”

 

* * *

 

Fate was frustrated.

Her fur was a poofy mess, all of her wounds were suddenly sore, and her clothes didn’t feel right. She was being forced to wear a skirt on a day that she didn’t feel comfortable in them, so that added a pair of leggings and then the layers of the sweater vest and her sweater and her jacket--Man, she was **so frustrated**! She started crying before she could yell, pulling at her fur and her sleeves as she sat on the edge of the bathtub while she bawled her eyes out.

And when Frisk needed to brush their teeth, they found their young sister sobbing and scratching at the back of her paws dangerously, her fur and clothes a mess. It looked like she had been caught in a nuclear blast, except without the nuclear blast. She was able to look up at them, but unable to make eye contact due to her heavy breakdown, in which Frisk didn’t really care about the eye contact at all.

 _What happened, kiddo?_ Frisk questioned, walking into the bathroom and kneeling down beside their sibling cautiously.

“N-Nothing is w-w-working! I-I keep trying t-to f-fix it, b-but it w-won't work!” Fate sobbed, putting her head in her paws and breaking down even more. Frisk felt really bad, and gently rubbed her back to try and help her calm down.

 _I can help you, if you’d like?_ They asked, waiting a silent moment for Fate to respond, in which she frantically nodded her head.

“P-Please…” She replied, brining a soft, sympathetic smile to Frisk’s face before they stood up and grabbed the lightly used hairbrush from the counter.

Starting with the fur was a good place…

Brushing their younger sibling’s fur, it went down with very little effort, working itself out naturally as Frisk went through before leaving it to think about what it was going to do. Fate calmed down after a couple of minutes, seeing that it was working out okay, and was able to stand up so that Frisk could fix her outfit to make it feel more comfortable. It turned out that stockings were much easier to wear under a skirt than a pair of leggings, and a little more efficient with keeping Fate’s little legs warm. Her little blue boots went on, because they were the warmest and sturdiest combined pair of boots she had, and her black button-up sweater-type-jacket and her big green jacket went right over top of her shirt, vest, and the jacket over the other jacket quite well.

The fact that skirts were mandatory for the girls or feminine figures still had her quite upset. Everyone wanted it to be a free-for-all choice as long as it was presentable, but stupid Mrs. Binchdt and stupid Mrs. Morris had another say in the matter. Everyone also knew that it was them who convinced the principal so. As Chara said in their room far away from Toriel and told Fate to never repeat except for in her had, Linda and Gloria were “skanks”... whatever that meant.

Fate honestly didn’t know. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to ask, either.

 

* * *

 

“So, this is where we’re sitting?”  
“Yup.”  
“... So far at the back that we can see those stupid wagons Linda and Diana.”  
“Ye.”

Brian sighed, running a hand over his face before opening the information pamphlet with a shake of his head meant for his husband, who simply stared ahead as they waited for the concert to begin. They weren’t parents or anything of the sort. They wanted to be, but besides that and being officers, they looked shady as fuck.

“Dacian, I love you, but this is **ridiculous**.” Brian told his husband, who shook his head in disagreement.

“Actually, ‘tis called doin’ our job.” Dacian explained, but that only made Brian sigh again, much heavier this time, before putting an arm over the back of his husband’s chair with a defeated slouch. “How craic is dat? Laddies singin’, people clappin’ an’ cheerin’, pictures bein’ taken… reminds me of our graduation concert.”

“That turned out fine…” Brian muttered under his breath, gaining a sharp look from his husband only to smile cheekily in return.

“You’re jammy we’re on a job.” Dacian said with a slightly threatening tone, although Brian only laughed and continued on sifting through the thin pages full of information on this concert.

It couldn’t be too bad… He might as well enjoy.

Then the auditorium lights went so dim that Brian wasn’t sure he could see Dacian from right beside him, not until the lights on the stage turned on brightly, nearly blinding him. That probably nearly blinded everyone, honestly. Mr. Henrik Sophoclaus took to the stage with a microphone in hand, trying to look presentable, but it was quite obvious that he hadn’t tried very hard.

“Hello. Family, friends, teachers…” He started off, and if he was slurring anymore, Brian would’ve definitely arrested him for public intoxication. “I’m Henrik Sophoclaus, the principal of Willow Creek, and tonight, I welcome you to the annual Willow Creek Elementary Winter Concert.”

The crowded cheered and applauded, and Mr. Sophoclaus went off stage so the concert could start. Each class of students either sang a song or did a play, whether based off a book or a movie, before the solos came around. Going by order of how they were announced, simply because Mrs. Greenewell didn’t get much say in anything despite having chosen the soloists, Melina went up first. She was going to tell the story of “The Christmas Present” by Richmal Crompton.

“Mary Clay looked out of the window of the old farmhouse. The view was dreary enough—hill and field and woodland, bare, colorless, mist-covered—with no other house in sight. She had never been a woman to crave for company. She liked sewing. She was passionately fond of reading. She was not fond of talking. Probably she could have been very happy at Cromb Farm—alone. Before her marriage she had looked forward to the long evenings with her sewing and reading. She knew that she would be busy enough in the day, for the farmhouse was old and rambling, and she was to have no help in the housework. But she looked forward to quiet, peaceful, lamp lit evenings; and only lately, after ten years of married life, had she reluctantly given up the hope of them. For peace was far enough from the old farm kitchen in the evening. It was driven away by John Clay's loud voice, raised always in orders or complaints, or in the stumbling, incoherent reading aloud of his newspaper.”

Melina had captured the audience with the story, continuing on brightly and calmly until she reached the end of the story, half of the audience nearly moved to tears.

“The old woman stood still for a minute with a cup in each hand and smiled her slow, subtle smile.”

The crowd applauded, half of them able to cheer and half of them unable without bursting into tears, and then Logan Valerio took the stage. He had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, and he sung Demi Lovato’s “Remember December” before giving the stage to Cara Velaquez. Cara Velaquez was a tall girl with dark orange hair and bright hazel brown eyes, and she sung “December” by Ariana Grande before bowing politely. Taking to the stage next was Felix Bayer, a short boy with bright blonde hair and even brighter blue eyes, and he recited “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Anderson quite near perfectly. The Little Match Girl was a widely known story, so he got plenty of cheering and applause from the audience.

Next came Aiden, his hair nicely combed and his clothes smoothly ironed, and he immediately started reciting “A Christmas Tree” by Charles Dickens.

“I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree. The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table, and towered high above their heads. It was brilliantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers; and everywhere sparkled and glittered with bright objects. There were rosy-cheeked dolls, hiding behind the green leaves; and there were real watches (with movable hands, at least, and an endless capacity of being wound up) dangling from innumerable twigs; there were French-polished tables, chairs, bedsteads, wardrobes, eight-day clocks, and various other articles of domestic furniture (wonderfully made, in tin, at Wolverhampton), perched among the boughs, as if in preparation for some fairy housekeeping; there were jolly, broad-faced little men, much more agreeable in appearance than many real men--and no wonder, for their heads took off, and showed them to be full of sugar-plums; there were fiddles and drums; there were tambourines, books, work-boxes, paint-boxes, sweetmeat-boxes, peep-show boxes, and all kinds of boxes; there were trinkets for the elder girls, far brighter than any grown-up gold and jewels; there were baskets and pincushions in all devices; there were guns, swords, and banners; there were witches standing in enchanted rings of pasteboard, to tell fortunes; there were teetotums, humming-tops, needle-cases, pen-wipers, smelling-bottles, conversation-cards, bouquet-holders; real fruit, made artificially dazzling with gold leaf; imitation apples, pears, and walnuts, crammed with surprises; in short, as a pretty child, before me, delightedly whispered to another pretty child, her bosom friend, "There was everything, and more.".”

“A Christmas Tree” was a long story, but not too long as to bore the audience. Aiden was talented in storytelling anyways, so he kept everyone intrigued until he finished up his story, giving a bright smile and then giving the stage to the next child--Chandler. He was obviously really excited, but he was also super anxious. It was a given, considering that he had been forced to wear a skirt and couldn’t wear his hat or his jacket, and he barely even looked like himself, but his voice was something he wouldn’t let anyone take from him ever again. Although it was close to Christmas, this was a **winter** concert, so Chandler sang a song about December. Not about Christmas.

Linda sat in the audience in an outrage.

“ **_I'm so glad you made time to see me. How's life? Tell me how's your family? I haven't seen them in a while. You've been good, busier than ever. We small talk, work and the weather; your guard is up and I know why. Because the last time you saw me is still burned in the back of your mind. You gave me roses and I left them there to die._ ** ”

Ah… “Back To December” by Taylor Swift. It fit Chandler’s voice very well and had been quite the hit many years ago, so bringing it back full force during a winter concert was quite funny and yet, quite neat. Chandler certainly had a creative mind, and a wonderful voice.

“ **_But this is me swallowing my pride. Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night." And I go back to December… It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you, Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine. I'd go back to December, turn around and make it alright. I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind. I go back to December all the time. All the time._ ** ”

Chandler finished his performance and decided to do a little curtsey in his skirt, making the best of it, before heading backstage and giving the stage to Jasmine--right after they high-fived, of course. Making her way to the middle of the stage, the moment the tune started up, everyone knew what she was going to sing. A Christmas song that didn’t have much hint of religion in it--and Linda looked like she was turning a very bright red.

“ **_I don't want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need. I don't care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true… All I want for Christmas is you._ ** ”

Oh, Linda was turning a bright red for sure. Everyone could see her face turning colors in the dim auditorium, and Jasmine didn’t even care. No one really did, honestly. Linda could go shove her Bible-thumping down her husband’s throat instead of trying to use religion to make the lives of others miserable, just for her own beliefs. That’s when it wasn’t religion anymore. Just assholery.

“ **_All I want for Christmas is you, baby._ ** ”

As Jasmine bowed to finish up her performance, Linda nearly shrieked in fury at the young girl’s smug smile, but Jasmine rushed off of the stage before Linda could start throwing makeup products. Eyeliner brushes were deadly.

There was a slight pause as everyone waited, and then poor little Fate ended up in the middle of the stage being dragged kicking and nearly yelling by Chara and Frisk combined, unable to leave once she had been placed in the middle of the spotlight and left alone. She was nearly sweating because she was so nervous--oh, wait, no, there came the sweat. Swallowing thickly from the anxiety, she tried to calm herself down as the music box tune of her song started. There was a bit of a tune before she had to start singing, which Frisk had decided on purposely so Fate would have time to relax herself and find her voice. Sure enough, she was able to find it, and she didn’t pay any attention to the Linda Binchdt storming out of the auditorium because the winter concert hadn’t been a Christmas concert like she had planned.

Salty bitch.

“ **_Dancing bears. Painted wings. Things I almost remember. And a song someone sings: Once upon a December._ ** ” She took a deep breath. “ **_Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory…_ ** ”

She had watched the movie Frisk and Chara chose this song from, and during the musical interlude at the moment, the pictures on the castle walls around Anastasia had come alive. She remembered it quite clearly and it brought a smile to her face, and a little more **Bravery** into her SOUL.

“ **_Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully across my memory._ ** ” At this point, Anastasia would have that golden dress with the bright blue ribbons, donning a tiara and a pair of earrings and a beautiful necklace. She would be dancing with different people, her hair tied back an her voice carrying through the castle. Fate couldn’t help but sway with the music. “ **_Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember._ ** ”

Anastasia was passed to her deceased Father as the song slowly came to a close, and Fate felt her heart drop at the familiarity of Anastasia’s situation to her own. They were very different, that much was obvious… but they also weren’t too far apart in likeliness either.

“ **_And a song someone sings…_ ** ”

The song trailed off as it came to a close, the sight of Anastasia’s Father giving his daughter, who didn’t even remember him, a gentle kiss on the forehead ending up in the heads of all who had watched the movie Anastasia.

“ **_Once upon a December._ ** ”

Anastasia had fallen to the ground.

And Fate didn’t even know she had been crying.

 

* * *

 

The office was painted gray, and it had only one floor-to-ceiling window, which faced the main road. On the gray desk sat a desktop computer, a notebook lying open, and a stack of papers sitting under a turtle-shaped paperweight. In a corner, a fan was blowing on medium, and there was a swivel chair in the middle of the office where none other than Rovia Monroe was seated, sipping a cup of light coffee. A bookshelf, bursting with books, was in a corner, with yet another stack of papers under a paperweight that was shaped to look like a tuft of grass. A few pens were lying on the papers, but some had fallen onto the top of the bookshelf.

The phone on the desk started to ring and, without anything better to do at the moment, Rovia answered immediately. He barely got out a simple greeting before the caller started talking frantically.

“ _Rovia, I was wrong!_ ” Marcel yelled from the other end, sounding nervous and upset with himself. His parents were obviously working if he was yelling, and he sounded like he was flying through papers and clicking away at his laptop.

“Wrong about what?” Rovia questioned, sitting up straight and leaning against his desk. Marcel was never wrong--what could have possibly happened?

“ _The attacks--they won’t start by New Years!_ ” Marcel responded frantically, tripping over something and cursing out loud. A quiet “Fuck you, Tyler” could be heard moments after, but Rovia didn’t question it. Tyler was dangerous. Marcel was not. “ _I got it wrong! The star alignments, the rise in supernatural activity--I got it_ **_all_ ** _wrong!_ ”

“Marcel, calm down.” Rovia ordered, listening to the young bo take multiple deep breaths and sit down in a creaky chair. “It’s alright that you got it wrong. I’ll just update the team--”

“ _No, you don’t understand!_ ” Marcel spat out, cutting Rovia off. No one cut Rovia off unless it was urgent. Something was definitely wrong. “ _Brian and Dacian are in danger! The coordinates of the first attack is right where they’re heading--the winter festival! We need to contact them and get a team over there immediately!_ ”

Right away, Rovia put the phone on speaker and pulled out his cellphone, typing away at his desktop computer.

“I’m on it, keep talking.” Rovia ordered, in which Marcel didn’t hesitate to continue.

“ _We’ll need a specific group! I already know what the attack will be--we just need the right people there!_ ” Marcel insisted. Rovia grabbed a pencil and a blank piece of paper, letting out a sound so Marcel could tell him. “ _Brian and Dacian will be okay there, but we need Adam, Chilled and Minx to join them. We need Jordan and Cathy, and I’ll be heading straight over there with Tyler in a moment._ ”

Rovia wrote down the information as Marcel went quiet, his breathing heavy even through the phone.

“ _And Rovia?_ ” Marcel questioned, gaining a hum and full attention from the older male. There was a pause, and then Marcel said something he knew Rovia wouldn’t like. “ _We’ll need Craig._ ”

Rovia definitely didn’t like it. With that, Marcel had hung up, and Rovia was left to contact everyone. They were heading right on it… but Craig…

Craig. That one was special. He looked like an innocent kid with a life or purpose, but the truth behind it all was that he spent his life as a child performing experiments on living creatures such as animals and insects. He graduated early, skipping many grades, and went to college for five years to end up getting his doctorate. He was a brianiac. He claimed that he had killed more bugs and wild animals than cancer had killed men.

Rovia wouldn’t doubt it.

But it was time for Craig to return to the police force that he had been fired from two years ago.

 

* * *

 

Marcel almost flinched at the sight before him on his laptop--pictures from a police investigation a couple years ago. Not Craig’s, but someone much worse. Craig would never harm an innocent person, while the sight before Marcel was crimson blood smeared across the stark white walls, dripping down it in fat droplets and landing in a pool next to the body on the ground. The dainty girl had been run through with a knife, her eyes still open and blank, unseeing.

 **_I think I’ll like this guy._ ** Tyler joked, making Marcel shake his head. Tyler actually hated people who hurt the innocent, surprisingly. That’s why Marcel kept him around. Well… that and some other things.

Leonard Wright had been a mystery, and still was. His style of kill was instantly recognizable, but his attack patterns were as random as pi. Marcel wasn’t surprised that he originated from the Abaddon, but he also wasn’t at all happy that he had fucked up the starting date of the attacks--almost like something suddenly shifted and the rug was pulled out from underneath his feet. He was happy to have Rovia put together the right gang for the job, though.

Adam and Brian were the best decoys ever. They could act out anything and hide weapons easily no matter what they were wearing. Meanwhile, Dacian organized the best weapons for them to get the job done. He could be clumsy, but he got the job done no matter what.

Jordan and Cathy were some of the best hackers Marcel knew besides himself. They could get into any device at any given time, and Jordan had even gone to jail for hacking the government’s files. Twice, and when he was merely Marcel’s age.

Chilled and Minx… liked to explode everything. When Chilled was a child, he blew a computer up with a string of firecrackers and burnt a hole in the ground with about four thousand sparklers tied together, while Minx blew up an old washing machine with a bottle bomb and a TV with a dry ice bomb. They were troublemaking twins, but they never harmed anyone unless necessary. Minx was also more of a fighter, while Chilled was more of a planner.

Craig was the brains, and knew the best pressure points to attack someone and all… and then there were Marcel and Tyler. Marcel was just Marcel--a young adult who enjoyed photography and hacking--while Tyler tended to fuck shit up in the best way possible. He loved to see blood and destruction, and they both liked to steal from criminals.

The plan should’ve been simple, but Marcel knew why it wasn’t.

They had their hands full for sure.

 

* * *

 

Fate wasn’t one for festivals. Fate also wasn’t one who enjoyed going out in insanely public places, especially after crying on a stage while performing in front of most likely about three hundred people. She was embarrassed and felt awful, and she was **freezing** in this cold, snowing weather.

But Toriel had promised, and Frisk really wanted to, so the Dreemurr family minus a sentient flower ended up at the winter festival that was held in Ebott every December.

However, Fate found herself looking around, unfamiliar with her surroundings…. and realizing that she was lost. Separated from her family. Instead of thinking straight and staying where she was or going to find help, she decided to wander about instead, weaving through the crowd--half of the people in costumes and half of them not. She wondered why. She also wondered why no one was concerned about of the parentless children running around unless they were screaming their heads off. Fate had already cried once today, so there was no chance in Hell of her doing that, which meant she’d just have to continue wandering.

She didn’t really mind. She also got different kinds of Christmas-themed candy from some staff near food booths, much to her enjoyment of them passing out candy and giving a quick “Happy holidays!” before moving on to the next person. Social interaction was something that Fate wasn’t good with, but social events… they could be fun.

They could be **especially** fun with the little exhibits where people were selling things, but you only really had to stick around and watch. A couple of parents seemed to be getting last minute Christmas presents, while Fate found interest in the little helicopter toys simply because she wondered if Flowey wanted to know what it was like to fly. Chara would help her with that, maybe even Sans.

“Enjoying yourself?” The man that was seemingly running to booth questioned, leaning over the table as Fate messed with the little controller that flew the helicopter. She didn’t let it go too high, because breaking it or losing it was result in most likely being grounded. She merely nodded, a little uncomfortable from being watched so intently and smiled at so seemingly… fake-ish. He was probably just considering that she was a stupid little kid who might break the toy, which was fair enough. “... Willow Creek Elementary?”

Fate was confused for a second, and then remembered that the jacket she had on had been a gift to the soloists for doing so well and being so dedicated to the concert with practices and all. It had the Willow Creek Elementary patch on it, which Fate personally thought was super cool. She gave a simple nod to the man, who just wouldn’t stop talking to her. Wasn’t it obvious that she didn’t like conversation?

“They’re $100.99 each, toy with the controller. Batteries come separate. They can carry up to ten pounds.” He explained, making her frown a bit. Ten pounds was not enough to carry a Flowey… It was still a pretty cool toy in its own. “Is your family nearby?”

Fate passed the controller over to a marvelling adult near her, who looked ecstatic to have a turn, and raised her hands to sign.

 _We got separated. I’m just wandering._ She responded, hoping he knew sign language. If not, she would just shrug and continue on. Luckily, he happened to know the little language passed through plenty of people.

“I see. Where do you think they are?” He questioned, still smiling in that fake-looking way. It really made Fate uneasy.

 _I don’t know. Probably near._ She responded, watching as he nodded a bit, standing up straight and putting his hands on his hips.

“Huh.” He let out, coming around the table with his smile still plastered on his face. “... Well, since you’re separated--”

Fate thanked the Lords she was little.

“ **Why not return to the Abaddon?** ”

Because she weaved through the legs of a couple of people, making a run for it. She had finally calmed down. She had finally relaxed and settled in, and became sure that she could just be normal with the Dreemurr’s, but **no**. She wasn’t lucky like that.

She felt bad, but in order to keep the distance between her and this somehow athletic, most likely 190 pounds guy, she used what little strength she had to pull people and things in the way of his path, dashing as fast as she could. Maybe it was a good thing that she was wearing a skirt, because it wasn’t restricting like pants would’ve been, and yet she wasn’t even sure why it was now of all times that she was being targeted. Those who originated for the Abaddon couldn’t leave unless it was a prominent day--so why, on a non-prominent day in the middle of December, was the Ripper Leonard Wright rushing after her during a winter festival?

Before she knew it, she had suddenly crashed into somebody who grabbed her and started to pull her away, bringing her to start kicking and screaming and making a scene before someone yelled.

“ **FBI, get on the ground!** ”

Brian Harkin was no player. When he was told to do a job, he did it. The Abaddon despised people like him and Dacian, in which brought Fate to calm down in the younger Irishman’s arms because she knew they weren’t there to harm her. They were there to help her. Their behind-the-scenes team had been working hard to destroy the Abaddon for years, and she knew that with her as the only ever survivor who escaped, they could do that.

Surrounding Leonard were other people she recognized from a board put up in the Abaddon, such as Adam Maalouf and Marcel Finnian-Constendell, but the criminal wouldn’t get on the ground even if it meant certain death. Whipping out a gun that he had hidden in his waistband, he fired a single shot that didn’t hit anyone, but scared many people, before a man with dark brown hair, aquaish-teal dyed on the top bit, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shoving a needle into Leonard’s arm. In moments, Leonard couldn’t feel his feet. Then he lost feeling in is legs and upper torso, becoming paralyzed before falling on his back without feeling pain.

“It’s called scorpion venom. Don’t worry--you’ll be up on your feet in twenty four hours.”

Craig Khourey took the stage before Leonard Wright was arrested after twenty long years of killing. Before Fate could register what had happened, she was being placed back on the ground with two Irishmen kneeling in front of her little shaking form.

“Fate, right?” Brian questioned softly, gaining just as soft of a nod. He looked up as Marcel approached, putting up a hand to the African American boy. “Go find the Dreemurr’s.” Marcel didn’t hesitate, taking off almost immediately, and Brian found himself being bombarded by his team for questions of what to do and so on.

So, Dacian was in charge of Fate. He didn’t really mind, but he knew that she was confused. She really was... She was confused and upset, and a little angry.

“Fate.” Dacian addressed the young girl, who didn’t look up at him. She didn’t like eye contact and she was upset, so he understood, but he still needed to talk to her. “We need to blather about de Abbadon.”

Before he could know if she was listening or not, her sapphire blue eyes met his dark brown ones briefly and he was instantly told that she knew. She knew what was happening, she knew what had to happen, and she knew them.

“... It’s coming…” She stated rather than questioned, and Dacian could only nod solemnly towards her.

Indeed it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHOO BOY!!
> 
> I love my cliffhangers, if you can't tell. I also love my long chapters.


	12. Bruise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dreemurr's learn about Fate and the Abaddon, and a little of a plan starts coming together.
> 
> On the other hand, it's Christmas Eve!
> 
> Here come the Wrightson's, the Pierce's, and the Lilith's.  
> Ashley Bredan is a spoiled brat for a good reason, the Bayer's are a disaster of a family, Akina Blake works for her family more than her parents do, the Rose's are having a happy time, the Morris brothers have loads of spaghetti puns, the Jekyll's and the Succorkit's are closer than you may think, and the Binchdt's endure church life.
> 
> Jeremiah, Taryn and Mitchel exist--along with a dangerous angel..?  
> And Chara comes to a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy these 7027 words of Christmas Eve and dysfunctional families.

_9:02 P.M., December 20th, 20ZT_ _  
__Bruise_ _  
__[brooz]_ _  
__Verb (used with object), bruised, bruising._ _  
___1\. to injure by striking or pressing, without breaking the skin.

 

* * *

“Fate was born on August 7th, 200R, in a small village Underground called Arrine. Her real name is Ame Casmyr Konno, but she goes by Fate as you know… She had two parents, a Father and a Mother, but they’re unknown to the system much like her pair of siblings, one older brother and one younger sister. She was abducted from her home late at night when she was four, in 20ZX, and ended up in the Abaddon for four years.”

Fate had never said anything. Even now, she remained quiet while sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket because she had been shaking the whole way home. She hadn’t talked to anyone since Dacian, and needless to say, none of the Dreemurr’s were happy to have a group of law people in their house. While learning more about Fate was a good thing, they would’ve preferred it come from her--not some random people who happened to know a lot about her. She looked like a mess…

“While it’s a children’s story, the Abaddon is actually real. It’s an awful place and we’re working to destroy it…” Rovia trailed off, his eyes fluttering over the room to see where everyone was stationed.

They were exactly where they were supposed to be, with Dacian sitting on the couch because the Dreemurr siblings had made room for him, and Brian leaning over the back of the couch above with with Marcel and Craig at his feet. Rovia would rather have Craig at the door, but Adam had that covered.

“It’s been five years since we’ve become aware of the Abaddon’s existence, thanks to Marcel, and there’s been no records of anyone escaping alive. Until Fate.” Rovia explained, watching the little girl’s ears twitch upon hearing her name. She continued to stare at the ground, however. “She’s the only one who knows the way into the Abaddon  **and** out of the Abaddon. She knows who is there. She knows about something Marcel only recently found out about--the prophecy of the war.”

“Could I just… stop you right there?” Toriel questioned, her muscles tense and her smile slightly forced. “... I’d like to remind you that Fate is  **eight years old** . She merely a  **child** . Survivor of the Abaddon or not--she can  **not** just rush into a huge fight.”

Chara so badly wanted to bring up Keisha’s previously broken arm, but decided against it. Their parents were already stressed enough, and Fate was already just as quiet as she was the first few nights she had been here. Rovia let out a sigh, and Marcel spoke up just then.

“We don’t need her to fight. In fact, honestly, I don’t think it’ll just be one big fight with a decided winner. The Abaddon has existed for… well, a long time, and it may take  **years** to completely defeat them.” Marcel explained from hi spot on the ground, still typing away on his laptop as he spoke and not making eye contact with anyone besides briefly with Toriel and Asgore. “We just need to manage the attacks they’ll place, which I’ve been able to do quite fine on my own, but it’d be a lot easier with a professional on how things work there. Plus, if we know who is there, then we’ll have an easier time tracking people down and preventing stuff.”

**_I’ve tried getting past the gate. It’s never worked because of the ritual._ ** Tyler reminded Marcel, who repeated it for everyone in the room. He was peculiar, that was for sure, but Toriel still didn’t understand it.

“She’s just a child.” Asgore repeated for his wife, his big paws clasped together on the table. “What do you possibly need from her that you can’t get from the man you just arrested?”

“Trust.”  
“Honesty.”  
“No profanity.”

Multiple people answered at the same time, and the pair of parents simply sighed. Why did they even bother asking? As everyone turned to Fate, who still didn’t seem to be paying attention, Dacian spoke to her considering that he was the last one she had spoken to.

“Fate?” Dacian asked softly, everyone watching as the young girl’s ears twitched again when Dacian addressed her and fixed the blanket, wrapping it properly around her little body. “Do ye trust us--everyone in dis house?”

There was a bit of a pause, a couple of people thinking she wouldn’t talk, and then she gave a sudden nod.

“... You’re all I got…” She responded quietly, nearly in a whisper, and Rovia could tell just from Toriel’s expression that her heart had dropped from hearing her adopted child talk so sadly. There was another pause, and then Dacian continued with Brian whispering questions into his ear.

“... In all honesty, were ye hurt in de Abaddon?” Dacian questioned, watching as Fate seemed to go to shake her head before nodding slowly. “... Who hurt you? What did they do…?”

With hot, salty tears flooding down her cheeks and dripping off her chin, Fate opened her mouth to respond, to say anything to reply, but all that came out were deep, gut-wrenching sobs that tore through her chest and convulsed her small body.

“... I-I can’t s-say…” She choked out, wanting to rock back and forth, but she didn’t want to look like a poor baby. Dacian felt bad, but he knew that he had to push.

“Can ye please try?” Dacian whispered, holding onto Brian’s hand that rested on his shoulder. Fate couldn’t use her voice, so she lifted her hands to sign. Those who weren’t looking or didn’t understand got Flowey as a translator, the sentient plant sitting angrily in his pot on his usual living room side table.

_ He hurt me more than anyone else has ever done. It hurts more than being thrown in that river in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on my back. It’s far worse than anything you could possibly imagine. _ She tried to explain, pulling the blanket partially over her head because she was embarrassed to have people watching her break down crying. Only Frisk had seen her do so, and that was earlier today when things were simple.

Coughing, gasping, and sobbing, Fate couldn’t stop even when Frisk started to rub her back, tracing their gentle fingers along the tiny scars on one of her paws. She hated hand-holding, but Frisk was oddly calming.

“... You’re safe with us. We promise.” Marcel told her.

He wasn’t usually a suck up to people crying while being questioned, but he had his own experiences with anxiety and abusive behaviors and all. That’s why his biological Mother was in jail, and he and Tyler were free to ponder about. Fate didn’t seem very convinced, grasping onto Frisk’s slightly bigger hand with her little paw just to ground herself, to remind herself of where she was despite her panicking.

“Can you tell us more?” Rovia questioned from the kitchen table, only to gain a shake of her head. “... Why not?”

There was a long pause as Fate tried to register the question and think of an answer, even though she seemed quite set on something. She didn’t look up, but she spoke quite clearly for someone with a shaky voice and a sore throat from crying so much.

“... B-Because that means… that he wins…” She responded softly, swallowing thickly due to her sore throat, and Rovia found that as a fair answer. He wasn’t going to push any further with that and he motioned to Brian, who whispered into Dacian’s ear, who then spoke to Fate.

“How do ye get into de Abaddon?” Dacian asked, hoping that the change of subject would help to calm down Fate a bit. Taking a moment to think and breathe, Fate responded with ASL, Flowey kindly being a translator for certain people once again.

_ They take a group of people in one night for a reason. They needed eight different SOULs to open the gate:  _ **_Patience_ ** _ ,  _ **_Bravery_ ** _ ,  _ **_Integrity_ ** _ ,  _ **_Perseverance_ ** _ ,  _ **_Kindness_ ** _ ,  _ **_Justice_ ** _ ,  _ **_Determination_ ** _ , and one monster SOUL. _ She explained, keeping her eyes on her paws as she signed.  _ Before you ask how you get out, I’ll just tell you. There’s one way in and out, just the gate. You don’t need the SOULs to get out, but there’s no secrets, nothing left unguarded. I simply took the opportunity of their own mistake to escape. _

“... Mistake?” Marcel questioned, pulling up a blank document to write everything down. Fate gave a nod, pulling her blanket closer before continuing on.

_ When they were setting some stuff up, which I’m sure you’re aware of, they accidentally disturbed a supernatural creature unlike any they had ever seen before. They thought they could kill it, take a sample, and study it… but the sample multiplied and gained life again, so while they were mostly focusing on that, I made a run for it. _ Fate explained, remembering it all quite vividly. Marcel’s typing kept up with her signing and his hands hovered over his keyboard for a second before he turned a bit, looking up at the young girl without forcing eye contact or anything of the sort.

“They have scientists?” Marcel questioned, watching curiously as Fate nodded a little bit.

_ Too many. _ She responded a little bitterly, quite obvious from how she frowned and swallowed thickly once again.  _ Scientists, warriors, guards… they’re all assholes. _

Chara snorted alongside Marcel and a couple of others, while Toriel merely sighed and put her head in her hands.

“How long are you all going to be here…?” She asked, mostly out of exhaustion, and Rovia paused before smiling sympathetically.

“With Fate being an escapee, and the attacks starting up now…? She’s a target, so… Honestly, all night. At least one of us here a night from there on out…” Rovia explained softly, feeling bad when Toriel placed her head straight back down into her hands. She was obviously stressed out and Rovia didn’t mean for it, but for the family’s safety, it was necessary.

It was going to be a long night.

 

* * *

 

 

5:30 P.M., December 24th, 20ZT

Layla dug at her sweet and sour soup, pulling our all the cubes of carrot. Grace didn’t say anything because she really couldn’t care less about table manners--there was always something interesting going on in Layla’s head. She peeked up at Grace with sticky fingers in her mouth and through the mouthful, Grace could just about make out the name “Rudolf”. Those carrot chunks were offerings for his favorite red-nosed reindeer. Grace merely nodded seriously.

“That’s a great idea, Layla. I never thought of that.” Grace told her toddler-aged sister with a grin, watching as the young girl scooped them up and lined them neatly next to her stocking.

Keith was busy with school work and their parents with their jobs, so Grace and Layla Wrightson--aged nine and two--had to stay home alone that solemn Christmas Eve, taking care of each other. The Christmas tree was lightly decorated, most of the sparkly stuff put up simply because Layla liked those kinds of things, and Grace thought that the more “traditions” she could build into she and Layla’s lives, the better. There was security in routines. Grace had stuffed Layla’s stocking with a toy car and a candy bar, not much by yesteryear’s standards, but to Layla, that bunty would be almost too exciting. Layla had taken to skipping around singing “Jingle Bells” while Grace scarfed down her slightly cold soup, wishing she knew the words to the Christmas song. She remembered the “Batman smells” one better than the original, but she hadn’t told Layla about that one yet because Layla was a terrible two, not a cheeky eight year old.

Allured by the scent of freshly baked Christmas cakes coming from the neighboring bakery amidst the bustling streets, Grace took her lingering gaze off of the Christmas tree and looked out the window instead, watching as the evening sky faded away; the pink and orange hues were replaced with dark shades of blue, whilst the amber light of the street lamps spilled on the stone-paved streets.

Even though it was only Layla and Grace, it was still Christmas Eve.

 

* * *

The Christmas tree was ridiculous. It scraped artex from the ceiling as Hugh Pierce wobbled on a ladder to hang the fairy. It truly belonged in a forest, dominating the Pierce’s small living room the way it was. Why was the family of three grinning, then? Isabella was hopping from foot to foot, awaiting the go-ahead to hang the decoration. Packets of tinsel laid unopened on the floor, not just the snake kind, but the stuff that was loose strips, too. Imogen plugged in the lights and the three of them almost exploded, their fingers itching to get going. The memory of actually decorating the tree was far shorter than the time it actually took for the Pierce family to make it beautiful all those years ago; but the finished tree was like a perfect photograph.

It was funny how these events stayed in mind when so much else didn’t, but Isabella was glad that they did, or otherwise everyone would just be left with the bad memories--the times her parents failed to maintain their cool, or worse. But this memory reminded her of how they tried, how they did love, despite their many faults.

Isabella’s life had never been like a TV commercial. She saw them with their white teeth and perfect BMI. She saw them always smiling, laughing, and making good jokes. Their homes were perfect, in decoration and cleanliness. They drove a nice car and went on vacations. They purchased gifts for one another and expensive hair products because “they’re worth it”. They showed love by spending money. Their children were angelic. They only ate the best food and had fulfilling careers. They weren’t her and she’d bet they weren’t  **anyone** . But her life was still beautiful and worthwhile. She didn’t want them telling her what to eat or what to wear. If she wanted their product, she could do her own research and then choose between their pitches. She wasn’t inadequate, her house wasn’t too small, the car wasn’t too old. She was a kid and she’d whine and complain sometimes, but she was still loved everyday.

She just wanted to tell them to figure out how to run their economy another way.

 

* * *

Diana watched Ashley open her Christmas Eve gift, tension playing over her gaunt features. She didn’t look like that when anyone else opened their Christmas Eve gifts, but it was to be expected. Even if Carol gushed gratitude, she’d barely get a smile or a glance.

Inside the store-wrapped box, it’s the kind of silver bracelet Carol had been begging one of her parents to buy her--the kind her sister already had nearly six of. Ashley pouted, Diana’s eyes bulged, and without a word, Ashley put the gift back in its box, tossing it aside. Her pile of gifts exceeded Carol’s by almost double--in that way, she ensured more was spent on her next year. Before she could stop herself, Carol was asking if she could have it, and her sister opened her mouth to respond--but Diana had already cut her off. Apparently, Carol was too fat. It would never fit. She’d have to lose twenty pounds before she could hope to attract a boy. Her grades weren’t good enough and she was destined to be lonely and unloved with her attitude. That’s where Carol thought they were wrong. She hoped they were.

She had to get the right gifts every year. They had to like them. She was the one to spend cheap on. She hated it.

Ashley hated everything. She was a bullet. Carol had caught her after every meal when their parents weren’t paying enough attention, inducing vomiting as if it was more attractive than just being herself. Ashley wasn’t fat, neither was Carol, and while Carol didn’t care, Ashley thought she was just not skinny enough, so she did things. She’d tried not eating at all and failed, gorged herself on pasta and pie. Carol knew Ashley thought the answer was feasting and purging, but she also knew that Ashley thought it was normal and that it wasn’t an alright thing. Carol had tried telling their parents, but neither one listened.

It had been simple at first. Ashley could have all the sweet food she craved so long as she vomited it all back up afterwards. Between those binges, she would eat less calories than a malnourished infant would consume. Then, in the course of an hour, she would gorge on thousands of calories. She kept an image in her head of her favorite supermodel, she would be thinner. She was trapped in a cycle that had her spiralling downwards, now; starve, binge, vomit, starve, binge, vomit.

Carol didn’t think about it too much. It was Ashley’s life--and their parents wouldn’t listen anyways.

 

* * *

Gran was crying on the couch. She didn’t want anyone to see, but it was kinda hard not to notice the slow, heaving sobs. She was knitting a garish sweater that the whole Bayer family hoped wasn’t for them, and kept whatever was paining her locked up inside. Kiara Bayer was frantic in the kitchen, barking out orders for Albert Bayer, who complied and then suffered her barrage of criticisms; he wasn’t fast enough, good enough, servile enough. Felicia Bayer had hogged the computer, playing makeup games without headphones, the music echoing around the small house like the blitz.

Under the Christmas tree, so perfect, lied an obscene number of gifts for five people. Each one was wrapped in a blueish-silver paper and adorned with a white semi-transparent ribbon. Love in a box, measured by the price tag “inadvertently” left on.

Felix grabbed the dog’s leash and he jumped up and down, spinning about, grinning in his loopy canine way.

“I’m taking the dog out!” Felix stated simply, and then left.

In minutes, he could be at stupid church, away from the craziness he was forced to call his family. Christmas was the biggest con job of all time. Not the celebration of Jesus. It’s what it’s become. Everyone wanted love in the holidays, and some slick marketing jocks told them it came in a box with a pretty ribbon and a prettier price-tag. The higher the price, the more the love, right?

 

* * *

The clock struck six pm and Akina’s face fell faster than vomit. Eleven hours of smiling, and she wanted to kill something cute. Holidays-- Dad ducked out, Mom got stressed, and her younger sister locked herself in her room to avoid grabbing any attention. Different year, same old BS. Akina had been pushing electronics at spoilt teens all day, hating her job for once, and she wanted to ram their stupid gadgets right up their noses, or even better, down their throats. Whatever their parents but them, they always wanted to upgrade, giving some whiny bull crap--“That’s what all my friends have!”

In school and church, Christmas was all about God. Bullshit. It was a frenzy of consumerism and she saw it every day. “Screw those kids without enough to eat, we earned our money.” Well, tonight, she’d be stopping at the food bank on her way home, her last pay-cheque having been swallowed by her Father’s hospital bill after he drunk too much, once again, and the washing machine going on the blink.

Ho ho ho. She felt so festive.

She pretty much ran down the crowded street, dodging shoppers and office workers on their way home. How she longed to be heading home, too, or even better, to have a job that paid enough to order pizza or buy fancy coffee instead of using the pot of Nescafe at home. Her stomach growled, but there was no time to eat now.

In the cities, life dwelled where it may. The trees were in pots and the humans were in concrete towers. There were laws and rules, a community of species, a hive of sorts. The moved, they ate, and they slept to the ticking clock. Every city had its own flavor, but always the harried commuters ruled the daytime hours. To get to know the city for real, to find out what lied beneath the tourist veneer, you would have to go out at night--when the real life began, the one conducted away from the glare of the sun.

Now, her Father had an alcohol addiction that prevented him from seeing the misfortune he was causing his family. His addiction was such that he cared for nothing else. Everything he had once held dear fell by the wayside: his family, his friends, his career… He would lie, cheat, and steal for ir. He became someone else, someone Akina had onced loved, but now feared. They say to love the addict and hate the addiction, but she was ashamed to say that all she loved was the memory of who he was. This addict he was now was like a demon wearing his skin, talking with his voice, crushing her sol. He manipulated those around him and wheedled into their affections, then without conscience, he deceived them and extinguished the hope he had tentatively built up in them.

Sometimes, on her darkest days, Akina wondered what she would feel like if the police came to tell her that he was dead. And she really didn’t know. She guessed she should pray she didn’t find out.

 

* * *

Snowman soup swirled in the children’s festive mugs while the snow pretty much raged about the house. Outside, almost obscured by the white flakes, the Rose’s snowmen stood in a regimented line, sticks arms saluting the snow encrusted window. Each one bore a different expression, a hand-knitted hat, and a hand-knitted scarf. Maggie had decided to go on a Hogwarts theme, so hers stoof in the middle draped in a velvet-lined cloak that flapped around in the wind. The smallest snowman had lost his head and it had come to a stop staring into the sunless sky above. The Rose children poked at the hershey kisses and marshmallows, watching them melt into the hot chocolate, and when the “soup” was gone, they closed the curtains on the wintry scene and retreated to watch the snowman movie; scurrying towards the smell of popcorn that drifted in from the kitchen.

Chandler was a whirl of crayons and elbows, oblivious to the fate of each new “masterpiece” as they zig-zagged through the air to the linoleum below. The air was frozen lace on his skin, delicate and cold, like winter waves on sallow sand--and he could never go outside in the winter for more than an hour unless he was fully, properly bundled up. For some reason, his mind conjured a stone mosaic made beautiful by the shards of a mirror and he wanted to keep his eyes heaven bound while his imagination made them one thing. While he was able to communicate like other kids, his social communication skill were quite weak if he hadn’t settled in first, and any such joke would be taken as a personal offence by him. He tended to refuse the gaze of anyone when confronted, and his old school teacher had gone off on him back when he was simply six.

She had assumed he was being rude when he wouldn’t look her in the eye, and by then the Autism hadn’t been made aware of, so when she shouted at him, Chandler had taken an offence so personal that he returned her shouting with a punch. He hadn’t felt extremely ashamed not disappointed in himself, but he didn’t quite feel pleasure from it either.

Maggie was a sweet and gentle child when it came to her older brother, though it may sound cliche. She understood that her brother had a little something wrong with his brain that couldn’t really be fixed and she accepted it because, honestly, he was still her brother. She couldn’t love him any less even if he was unable to talk or hear or see. Maggie liked to braid her hair for hours in front of the mirror when Chandler didn’t feel up to doing it for her, she played with her dolls and her toy cars, and she was kind to her brother. She was a fighter, never staying down if she fell or got knocked. She would go out of her way to be nice to other kids at school, but mostly stuck to her little group of friends who didn’t mind what she wore. Did Becca ever notice Maggie’s freckles? Of course she noticed her daughter’s beautiful freckles that adorned her little face. Maggie was a skinny kid, but mostly healthy. She loved animals, as most little girls did, but she hated jelly and had a dislike for bacon.

But the kids had a rough childhood from the start. Some kids had it worse, but their home had been turmoil and violence; not constantly, but enough to make them both less stable than they should have been. Becca wished she could have saved them earlier from the years ahead of them, but she was young and stupid.

They had a new life here, though, a year and counting. They were doing fine and so was she.

 

* * *

If there was one thing Joshua liked about Christmas, it would be helping out in the kitchen for dinner on Christmas Eve. It always had to be big and a lovely display because his Mother wouldn’t allow it any other way. While Jericho worked over the stove and with half the oven, Joshua used the other half of the oven for muffins and cookies, and a cake. Right now, he was frosting said cake happily while humming a Christmas tune, as no other music would be accepted coming from him due to his Mother’s strict ways.

Amid the flour that covered the island in the middle of their kitchen he sat, watching as Jericho made pasta while he frosted the big cake. He watched as his older brother fed the flattened dough through the rollers, watching it grow ever longer and ever thinner, before he turned the dial to change the roller thickness and sent it in again, over and over until it was long and papery. Joshua could almost taste his brother’s pasta already, covered in tomato basil sauce and sprinkled with parmesan. It was hard to believe that it was all just flour and eggs, kneaded and shaped. The final job was to send it through the cutters to make tagliatelle and hang it on the rack. Today it was green, so either spinach or more basil.

Either way, he didn’t care because fresh pasta rocked. Even when Jericho knocked his elbow into the flour and sent it flying across the counter, nearly catching Joshua’s cake and causing the young boy to shriek, sliding his cake away from the mess.

“Sorry!” Joshua apologized for nothing, causing Jericho to shrug as he chuckled, quickly starting to clean up the mess.

“Don’t worry. It  **malfade** , not yours.” Jericho reassured his younger brother while slipping a spaghetti joke in, causing Joshua to frown. This wasn’t time for jokes. “I can  **taglia** **tell** **e** that you’re upset.”

“Jericho!” Joshua snapped, getting up from his seat to grab some cake decorations from the other counter. Jericho only laughed at his brother’s temper.

“Your temper is  **spirali** out of control.” Jericho joked again, causing Joshua to groan and collapse straight back into his chair with a glare towards his older brother, who only continued. “I ain’t  **alfredo** you.” Joshua threw a bunch of sprinkles onto the cake, bringing Jericho to snort. “Maybe I’m going to  **farfalle** .”

“I feel sorry  **fiori** you.” Joshua snapped, looking up at his brother before pointing to the forgotten spaghetti, causing Jericho to scramble in order to not let it go hard or sit out. “You know what they say about cold spaghetti. Those who forget the  **pasta** are doomed to  **reheat** it.”

“ **Oh my God, Joshua, shut up** !”

 

* * *

Helen loved how Vinnie always tried to include everyone, but this time around, she dreaded not having enough power to say no. Vinnie had offered that she and Madison should spend Christmas Eve with her family and before Helen could give an excuse, Vinnie had to deal with Kyle dropping a glass in the kitchen. So, here the Succorkit’s were on Christmas Eve. With the Jekyll’s. Helen insisted on helping VInnie with dinner, in which the young woman didn’t mind the help, so as the kids and David did their own things, the pair of women made dinner for their two families. Vinnie was humming along to “Jingle Bell Rock” on the radio while Helen simply stirred the mix for the Christmas cookies that were meant for the kids, thinking about her job and the edges of the universe as per usual. Vinnie had just finished seasoning the meats before the question came up.

“So, how's life treating you?” Vinnie asked cheerfully, drying her just-washed hands with a hand towel before resting them on her hips, throwing the towel onto clean counter space. She returned to making certain sauces when Helen answered

“O-Oh, well… y-you know, the u-usual…” Helen responded simply, gaining a hum of acknowledgement from Vinine as the shorter woman rushed around the kitchen for ingredients. “M-Madison grades are slipping a b-bit, b-but she’ll pick th-them up again s-soon…”

“Oh, I’m sure she will. She’s a smart kid!” Vinnie complimented with a bright smile, mixing some herbs into one of the sauces. “She’s smarter than Kyle, and he got an A in Science class earlier this year! I don’t know what he’s been doing, but I hope its studying of some sort!”

Helen hummed a bit in response, not wanting to bring Vinnie’s hopes down. She knew what went on with the kids. Kyle would pay some kid in his class who was good at Science to do all of his homework and get test answer sheets for him, at the edge of the basketball court every Monday lunch. They exchanged money and papers, so it wasn’t a big surprise as to what they were doing, but no one seemed to notice or care.

Helen wasn’t sure if she cared after recent events in her life.

 

* * *

The Lilith family had indulged in the Christmas dinner, eating more than they thought was possible.

They had started on creamy nettle soup that felt warm in their bellies, which they needed on a night as cold as this Christmas Eve. When the bowls had been in front of them, it had been mossy green with islands of orange floating through the broth, and a handsome fish dish had followed. Sheila Lilith had laid a silver platter in front of her family, on top of which sat a fleshy pink trout, garnished with dashings of green herbs that none of them knew the names of, but like the taste. The fish course was supplemented by a side plate of mussels, their black shells lying open, the beige inside spilling out--sickening yet enticing. Sheila had never made them before. They felt horrible on the tongue, slippery and nasty, but they tasted pleasantly of the ocean without an overwhelming aroma of fish.

After the seafood dishes had been cleared away, Sheila had returned from the kitchen with the main meal; a full spit roasted pig, its skin a sizzling, mouth-watering golden brown, jaws prised around a forest green apple. She probably spent her and Benjamin’s previously saved up college savings that never got used because they started a family instead. None of them found themselves caring, really.

Cuts of the pork had been served with a refreshing applesauce, easing the perfectly cooked meal down. It had been accompanied by potatoes that were diced up in a bowl with carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini topped off with a healthy dash of pepper that stung the throat in the most pleasurable way. Then, after the pork, the sat on the couch and ate their dessert--slices of a cherry torte. The pastry had been light, both in texture and color, with a thick dark brown crust, all of which contrasted with the beautiful cherry red sauce that poured out of it. The torte was topped by a thin layer of icing sugar white as snow, but sharp as salt.

After dessert, three of the family members sat in silently in the living room, contemplating whether Sheila had actually made all of it or bought it all from the store and followed a recipe. Probably that second one…

“Would anyone like something to drink?” Sheila asked from the kitchen, having finished washing the dishes. They knew she was going to have a glass of wie, if not a bottle. It was Christmas Eve.

“Some wine, please.” Benjamin responded hopefully, in which Sheila hummed back, waiting for the responses from her children.

“Some bleach would be nice right about now.” Billy stated simply, only gaining a swat over the head from his Father before his twin sister, Annie, scoffed, whispering into his ear. “Some eggnog for us, then. Jesus…”

Sheila was laughing nervously in the kitchen, gathering the drinks together before rushing to the living room, sitting down beside her husband with the wine and passing the orange juice bottles to her children, the four family members sitting in front of the TV. The channel was playing “Elf”.

Thank God it wasn’t some children’s Christmas movie like usual.

 

* * *

Aiden hated suits. He also hated Church nights, especially when it was Christmas Eve because that meant freezing his poor little butt off. He felt bad for Melina because she had it worse in her little dress, but it wasn’t like they could say anything. Their Mother would go ballistic if they actually voiced their opinions. That’s why Lucas secretly brought his phone along, but he wouldn’t share it with them like the true jackass that he was. Aiden would get hit for saying that. He’d rather get hit than yelled at, to be honest.

He especially hated when Christmas Eve dinner ended up being at the church because he hated eating in front of others, but he figured it was better than having to eat his Mom's cooking. She couldn’t even cook, so nevermind calling it cooking.

When dinner was done, and dessert had been downed, everyone took their places for all the real church stuff. The stuff that put Aiden and Melina to sleep, except they couldn’t sleep because they’d get yelled at and in front of everyone--that was embarrassing. It had happened before. They didn’t want it to happen again. Lucas was messing on his phone with no care because Linda couldn’t see him, but Aiden and Melina had to stupid little play games with their hands that wouldn’t get noticed by the blonde woman. They hated it, but it was better than just sitting there and listening to stuff that didn’t quite interest them at their ages.

However, when they went home, it was the best Christmas Eve gift ever. They could go on their shared tablet and play stupid games that they found fun. Lucas could lock himself in his room like the twelve year old he was. Their Mom could do the same, but with her alcohol.

As long as they were in bed by nine, things would be fine.

 

* * *

In the barely lit tunnel hemmed in by the perfect arching sandstone walls, there was something almost gleaming ahead. It wasn’t giving out light, more like it caught it at certain angles and reflected a brownish red hue.

An Asian man at about 5’9” with shaggy, unkempt dark brown hair that looked black and dark brown eyes the same way, laughed and scrunched up his face as he turned around to look at his older sister, who looked more American than Korean. She was about 5’7” and had chin-length auburn brown alongside dark green eyes. Jeremiah took more after their Father, while Taryn took more after their Mother. The Lahti’s were a peculiar pair of siblings.

“Stand back.” Taryn ordered, shining her beam high and low, near and into the distance, then she stood, grim-faced. “There’s a power source ahead, small but high tech, it’s no AA battery.”

The siblings stepped back from the pretty copper wire ahead. It was as beautiful as a samurai sword, and just as deadly. They returned back down the tunnel to meet with a boy who had found a safe way in on his own, grinning smugly because he was younger than their twenty-six and twenty-five years.

The boy was about 5’7” ½, barely over Taryn’s height and yet seeming to barely be at it either, and his hair was shoulder-length, and quite fluffy. It looked as soft as a sheep’s fur, but his eyes were a piercing bright blue even in the dim tunnel light, lit up by only three flashlights carried by their three bodies. He was Mitchell Marshall Tierney, born of a human and demon relationship.

“This leads to the ventilation system. We can get to her.” Mitchell explained, in which Jeremiah gave him a proud pat on the back before Taryn took the lead into the small hole off the tunnel. “It’s thirty feet underneath, so we can evade the microphones.”

They were quite the rest of the crawling way before being able to move up a ladder into the ventilation ducts without any interaction, luckily. Making their way through the stuffy, metal ducts that were fortunately big enough for them, it wasn’t very hard to find the room that their dangerous angel was hiding in, being paced around by a guard. She had grown to the height of 5’9”, her bright blonde hair was still long, shoulder-length now, and her eyes were still a calm, bright blue. Sage Laniece Diep, a girl born of a human and angel relationship.

In seconds, Taryn had kicked off the vent cover and sent it flying into the guard’s head, knocking him out and breaking the door handle so no one could get in. Taryn pushed Sage up and Jeremiah reached down with a grin to grab Sage’s now free hands, obviously holding something in.

“Happy birthday.” Jeremiah finally got out when Sage and Taryn were in the ducts and they had just begun to move, in which Sage scoffed before chuckling a bit. She had been born on Christmas Eve years ago, after all.

“Thanks.” Sage thanked him quite seriously before returning the favor. “Merry Christmas Eve.”

“Thanks!” Jeremiah thanked happily as they all continued to crawl through the ducts.

“I’ll notify Rovia when we get to safety.” Taryn decided, getting no arguments in return. “We have our group--now we just need to fight.”

 

* * *

“buy more milk”  
“no fuck u”

Toriel wasn’t sure if she had actually been raising these children of not. Frisk had obviously requested more milk, and Chara had thought that this was an okay joke. It really wasn’t, but Toriel decided to just take away the letter magnets pasted to the fridge instead of doing anything else. It was Christmas Eve, after all. She would let it go this one time. Instead, she let the kids into the cookies and turned on a cartoon of their choice before bed to avoid any awkward conversations or any arguments. She knew that Fate was confused on the concept of Christmas, but she would learn properly tomorrow with experience instead of explanations from her siblings.

_ Did you know that when you sneeze, all of your bodily functions momentarily stop, including your heart? _ Fate asked with one hand just after Frisk let out a sneeze, which gained her a weird look from Chara.

“... Wait, really?” Chara questioned, legitimately curious, and Fate gave a nod, continuing to gnaw on her sugar cookie. “... I need to sneeze more.”

With a fit of laughter, the kids finished up their cookies and the cartoon episode before heading up to bed, in which Frisk helped Fate up onto their bed before climbing into Chara’s beside said sibling as per usual. However, Frisk and Fate kept signing back and forth between each other, much to Chara’s tired dismay. Eventually, they swung their hand into Frisk’s face with a small “splat”.

“What are you talking about…?” Chara questioned as Frisk threw their hand away, in which said Frisky bits responded.

_ New Years and what we want out of life. _ Frisk told their sibling, who scoffed a bit.  _ I want to be a real ambassador. Make things a  _ **_lot_ ** _ better for monster and human relations. _

“Is that so?” Chara asked a little teasingly, sitting up to look over at Fate, who was curled up into a tiny ball under Frisk’s heavy covers. It was adorable. “I just want to eat every kind of chocolate there is. What about you?” Frisk and Fate laughed a little bit before things went silent, giving Fate a moment to think. When she raised her little paws, it was quite obvious who serious she was.

_ I want to say that I lived each day until I die and know that I meant something in somebody’s life. The hearts I touch would be the proof that I leave: that I made a difference. And this world just might see that… I was here. I lived, I loved. _ Fate explained before pausing, and then giving a shrug. It was deeper than she most likely thought, but Chara only lied back down and left the rest of the conversation to Frisk.

They realized something in that moment. It took a bit of thinking, but they finally understood something they had been confused about since Fate first showed up in their life.

Once upon a time, she had been a very scared little girl, beaten and bruised in more ways than one. But one day, she had grown up and discovered that the only way to stop being scared… was to become scary.

She wasn’t the kind who needed saving.


	13. There is a Kind of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really all about accepting yourself.
> 
> With the underlining of Fate possibly being jealous and having a crush, along with Sans having actual wisdom?
> 
> Hell, the world is full of surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose you could call this a filler, but it kinda isn't at the same time.
> 
> CAUTION/TRIGGER WARNING:  
> This chapter can be taken as very depressing when it comes around to the end of it or around there. There's low self-esteem. There is a HEAVY MENTION of rape/sexual assault, so please approach with caution.
> 
> I love y'all, stay safe because you're wonderful people!
> 
> And also enjoy this chapter because ~character development~???

_ 11:00 A.M., January 18th, 20ZS _

_ You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth. You have to learn that people will forget what you said, forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. _

_ To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. _

 

* * *

Fate hadn’t understood the concept of Christmas or New Years, but experiencing it had explained it well enough. She had gotten a bunch of books and a bunch of new clothes for Christmas such as sweaters, shirts, a couple of dresses… It had been fun. New Years had been okay, too. It had been super loud and overwhelming, but fun. Now, in this new year, Fate found herself realizing something… 

There was something about Adianna that irked her.

Perhaps it was the way she flicked that blue-highlighted pitch black hair to one side in what Fate had come to know as a conscious act. Perhaps it was the way she giggled like the child she was whenever someone made a bad joke. Perhaps it as because of how tall she was or how long her hair was, or how bright her eyes were. Fate thought that, perhaps, it could’ve been Adianna’s constant obsession with giving people dieting tips that made a couple of people want to lose it and take a frying pan to that delicate bone structure of hers. Fate wanted some sort of accident to happen to that face. Nothing terrible, but just enough to make Adianna ordinary, too. Enough to teach the older girl what it was like to be a nobody--to be a girl that no one tripped over themselves to help.

No, Fate knew what it really was, but she just felt stupid admitting it. It was the way she wrapped herself around Destiny closer than a food wrap and was just as transparent. She would gaze through her mirror-like eyes with her cloying vapidity, simpering softly until he was called upon for something that she could just push herself into as if he was half of her life, if not more. Fate couldn’t say anything about it, though. That would be weird and it would put the small friendship she had with Destiny at risk, which she wouldn’t dare to do. Friends like him didn’t come along too often. Maybe if she had legs up to her neck and colorful fur, he’d forget about Adianna, but she had to face the fact that on a generous assessment--she was ordinary.

Fate just happened to be the same species as him, have a name that kind of matched, have a great taste in music, and she could tell a joke, too, not just turn on the fake laughter. But she would never compete with a beautiful human girl who probably took her life direction from fashion magazines, starved herself, and was more self-absorbed than a tadpole’s tail.  **Probably** . She had been told constantly by Chandler, although he had really not meant any harm by it, that Adianna was the pretty one, the stunning one, the belle of the fourth grade. And her? Fate was just the mousy bookworm sitting in the back of the class, while her numerous peers gathered around Adianna like ants to a Nutella sandwich.

Of course, Adianna  **was** prettier than her. Fate wasn’t saying she wasn’t. Adianna had pearly never-gets-cavities white teeth and flipped her hair often to draw in attention, and her hair complimented pale ivory skin nicely. Fate just had normal teeth with two little fangs and one missing. You know, like a kid, but she thought she looked like a weirdo.

She wasn’t sure why she even cared, but she just did. She had a strong dislike for how Adianna hung off Destiny like he was a coat hanger and often gossiped about her own brother, who only seemed to be getting prouder of his twin sister every single day. Fate didn’t mind Shavon, but at the same time, he could be just as bad as Adianna, except he tried to hang off of her instead of Destiny. She didn’t know why that was, either.

It all irked her.

It kept irking her at lunch, when she had clear view from her table over to the table that the Allyn’s twins sat at, suddenly starting to be accompanied by the Rovatta twins and some other kids that Fate didn’t really find herself caring about during the time she noticed it. She couldn’t even eat lunch. She felt… not nauseous, but sort of upset. She felt off. She didn’t have an appetite, seeing Adianna laughing so hard over Destiny’s words and seeing him smile when she leaned forward, her hair falling over her shoulders angelically. It… Fate couldn’t even describe it. She wasn’t even sure why, which made her upset, but she felt so…  **mad** .

“How many innocent cats have been lifted in the air because of The Lion King?” Danny asked when Fate had turned back into the conversation, not turning her gaze away from the table through the crowd of children, unsure of what “The Lion King” even was. She hoped it wasn’t what it sounded like.

“I’m 5’3” and let me tell you…” Chandler trailed off, sticking his straw into his juicebox with a pained look towards the older boy. “It’s not  **just cats** .”

The table burst into laughter at the truth of the statement, but Fae couldn’t bring herself to even smile. Not that she could understand the joke anyways, but she just felt so confused over her feelings that she couldn’t make time to laugh along with her siblings and her friends.  **Friends** … That really felt weird, if she was going to be honest. Chara must’ve noticed because the next thing she knew, she was jumping from the sudden shock of being pat on the back, her sibling looking quite concerned.

“Are you okay?” Chara questioned, their tone full of worry, and everyone’s attention was suddenly on her.

She paused before shrugging a bit, resting her elbows on the table before resting her chin in the palms of her paws, looking out past the crowd over to the table again, where Adianna was still laughing and making Destiny smile. Everyone followed her gaze before looking back towards her, and then looking back at the group at the table across the cafeteria from them.

“... What about them?” Chara asked, their tone now laced with confusion, and Fate wasn’t sure how to explain, so she simply did her best in response. Freeing her paws from the weight of her chin, she started to explain the best she could.

_ Adianna. She’s perfect without even trying, and she’s always hanging off Destiny. He seems to like her, too… _ She explained with a small shrug, pushing her lunch container over Flowey’s way, in which the sentient flower was delighted despite his worry over Fate’s sudden odd behavior.  _ I’ve lost my appetite because she’s so pretty and perfect, and I’m nothing like her. If Destiny really likes her and I’m nothing like her, than he probably hates me. _

There was a pause before Fate picked up on a high-pitched squealing sound coming from none other than Frisk, who looked quite pleasant with their hands holding their face so tightly that their chubbyish cheeks were squished. They removed their hands only to sign.

_ You have a crush on Destiny, don’t you!? _ They questioned, but that only confused Fate even more.

_ Why would I want to crush him? _ She asked, making an expression that caused everyone at the table to either snort or giggle behind their hands. Maybe it was the question, actually… 

“No, Fate…” Chandler trailed off, trying to recover from his giggle fit as he leaned across the table to talk to her. “A crush is having an intense infatuation for someone.”

“Usually someone unattainable or inappropriate, but in this case, it seems appropriate.” Adar added as she picked through her lunch, more interested in the suddenly awkward conversation before her instead of eating the rest of her food.

_ … I don’t think I have an intense infatuation for him. _ Fate told them, looking a little weirded out. Whether it was because she just learned what having a crush was or because she was confused over her own emotions, no one could tell. Chara then pushed their container of lunch away, leaning on the table a bit as they looked down at their sibling.

“Tell us about him.” They suggested, or more like ordered, and Fate paused, trying to think. What about Destiny was there to say besides the irony of their names? What did it matter if Adianna already had him wrapped around her stupid, perfect fingers?

_ His fur is the simplest, brightest green fur that I’ve seen, but it’s also like all shades of green mixed together at the same exact time. _ She started off simply, finding this quite stupid. Everyone was listening so intently, too…  _ His eyes are a brilliant hazel specked with lovely greens, super bright. He’s optimistic, hopeful, open-minded about the world around him… He makes good jokes. He apologizes when necessary. He prefers waving over handshakes or hugs, but he likes hugs because he likes hugging his twin sister, Cass, all the time. He’s not allowed to go Trick-or-Treating on Halloween because his parents are strict about holidays. They celebrate Giftmas, but not Christmas--although I don’t know the difference. He has an older brother name Gale and an older sister named Abby. _

Pausing almost dramatically, Fate found herself knowing a lot more about him than she thought she did. She paid closer attention to him than she did to herself…

_ He’s imperfect, but he tries. He’s good, but he does lie sometimes. He’s hard on himself, and he won’t ask for help even when he needs it. He;s messy, but he’s kind. He… seems really lonely most of the time. He’s reckless just enough, he gets hurt and knows how to toughen up when he’s bruised and all… He’s all of it just mixed up and… baked in a beautiful pie, if that makes sense. _

There was a very long, unnerving pause that made Fate uncomfortable before Jasmine suddenly squealed, tapping away at the keys on her phone.

“You  **so** have a crush on him!” Jasmine told her, far too excited about it, and Fate could feel her face heating up from the embarrassment. She wasn’t even sure if she liked him as a friend--why jump to conclusions…?

_ I think you’re missing the point. _ Frisk brought up with a slight frown, radiating with excitement over Jasmine’s words, but obviously quite scared over the same thing that Fate was.  _ Adianna is really popular among the fourth graders. _

“She’s also human and can be quite the b-i-t-c-h or so I’ve heard.” Aiden argued lightly with a small shrug. “It’s ironic--like they’re meant to be. If they are, it’ll happen.”

“Romantic…” Danny mumbled sarcastically over Aiden’s words, bringing the table to laugh as Fate pulled her jacket’s hood over her head to hide her face from her group of friends.

She really wasn’t one for love.

* * *

Fate hated physical contact from people she didn’t know very well. She also hated social interaction because it made her anxious. Put them both together and she freaked out, especially when it was Destiny after the conversation during lunch. Thus, she decided that she hated class because she was seated right next to him, where he’d always lean over to ask her questions. It always happened.

Today was no exception.

“Would you happen to know the answer to question five…?” Destiny asked, only bothering her because she had finished their worksheet three minutes ago and Cass was still writing. Fate didn’t look up when she responded, keeping her hood on and her head down to avoid looking at the boy beside her at all.

_ Round it up and the answer is two hundred. _ Fate responded, catching from the corner of her eye that Destiny grinned wide and flicked his ears in appreciation before going back to his work.

Fate wanted to scream. She wanted to cry and throw a fit, but she wouldn’t, especially not in a classroom where everyone she saw every weekday could watch her. She seriously wanted to cry, though. She wasn’t good with love or anything remotely like it, and that’s what infatuation was in a way. The fact that she wasn’t infatuated meant love, or at least some type of it, and she wasn’t good with it  **at all** . It was love that got her hurt so many times in the Abaddon, not hope.She hadn’t really realized it until now, but now that she knew, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to disappear or for Destiny to do so instead. She’d rather herself, honestly. More people cared for Destiny than they did for her.

“Are you okay?” Destiny suddenly asked out of nowhere, and Fate was glad that the classroom was bursting with conversation because she really didn’t want anyone pretending to worry over her.

_ Yes. _ Fate responded simply, leaning forward on her desk and giving Flowey and pencil to chew on. She hated the way the sentient flower was staring down at her. He knew what was going on. She hated that, too. She could never hide a secret from Flowey and she felt as if it was starting to get annoying, but she also knew that she needed that reassurance in her life.

“... No. I’m a lot smarter than you think despite my awful math skills. What’s up?” Destiny asked again, leaning forward on his desk to try and get a good look at her face. Their eyes met for a split second, and then Fate leaned away to hide her burning face.

_ The sky. _ Fate joked in a serious way, causing Destiny to lose his composure and snort before trying to go back to being neutral.

“I’m serious. What’s wrong?” Destiny questioned, his voice shaking a bit from trying not to giggle at her joke. She felt a little pride swelling in her SOUL, but it dissipated quickly, leaving her tired and letting out a heavy sigh.

_ Nothing much. I’m just tired. Long day. _ Fate replied, trying to keep it short and sweet. There was no point in conversing with him when he would just forget about the whole thing later in favor of chatting with Adianna.

“If you say so…” Destiny sighed, leaning back in his chair with a frown. He had the feeling that something was up, but he just couldn’t tell what.

What a flop.

* * *

Fate sipped her hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon as per usual, while watching reruns of Steven Universe now that she was all caught up on the cartoon. Sans was lying down, taking up most of the couch, but she still had enough room despite the napping skeleton that was “babysitting” her. She was not a baby, nor was she being sat on, so once again she was confused with the type of slang her family used. Sans was like a cool uncle and despite his closed sockets, his breathing patterns--even though skeletons didn’t need to breathe, Fate was still so confused about the existence of skeleton monsters--told her that he was indeed awake.

“I know you’re awake.” Fate stated softly, halfway towards taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Sans peeked open an eye socket before opening both, staying in his position while a small chuckle sounded from him.

“So you can speak.” Sans stated, in which Fate gave him a shrug in response, putting her mug of hot cocoa down so she could sign.

_ Your eyes were closed, so I had to. _ She excused, only gaining another chuckle from Sans as the skeleton put his boney hands in his jacket pockets to shrug noticeably.

“I slept for almost twelve hours today, but I might still be tired…” Sans explained as if it were normal. Fate kind of envied him. Sleeping for twelve hours sounded quite fun. “... so let’s go for twelve more just in case.”

_ Sans, that’s a coma. _ Fate told him although she was sure that he knew.

“Sounds festive.” He responded jokingly, causing Fate to frown a bit.

_ Sans, no. _ She signed with a heavy sigh, picking up her hot chocolate mug again and taking a sip, returning her attention to her cartoon as she leaned back into the couch.

A moment passed, and then Sans sat up with a groan of effort, still leaning against the arm of the couch. Letting out a sigh, he rested his head in a hand, the other hand, still in his pocket, and let his legs fall over the edge of the couch.

“You’ve been looking quite upset all day.” Sans pointed out, watching as Fate simply curled up from that statement. “I may be a lazy potato, but I listen very well if you’d like to talk about it.”

It took about ten minutes, aka a full Steven Universe episode--specifically a rerun of “Jail Break”--before Fate finally put down her mug of hot chocolate that was nearly finished and started to sign.

_ I’ve just been thinking. _ She responded, taking another minute or so before continuing. It seemed that focusing on the cartoon in front of her was helping to keep her calm with what she wanted to say.  _ There’s so much more to survival than the persistence of the flesh. Even if my tears are dried and my abrasions are healed, my sense of self will still remain in tatters. _

“... What makes you say that?” Sans questioned cautiously when he girl remained still for longer than a minute that time.

It took yet another minute before Fate responded by getting up and grabbing a piece of paper alongside a pencil, sitting at the kitchen table to write for a couple of minutes, but Sans had found himself to be quite the  **Patient** person. When Fate came back, she handed him two pieces of paper, both of them filled out fully, and then she turned off the TV, rushing up to the room she shared with her siblings. Her hot chocolate was left behind to get cold and Sans was left to read the horrifying story the young child had given to him. The writing was quick and messy, but it didn’t need to be perfect. Neither of them sure as Hell weren’t anyways.

**_I can never smell cigarettes without recalling it. The odor takes me back to the burning, the ripping, the bleeding, and the shaking in the back corner of the room. With every recollection, I feel less of an existing person because a few inches of burning tobacco leaves are instant trauma. They were creeping hands, whispering words that cannot be expunged from my mind by anything at all, and strong hands pushing me into the walls or the ground. It was tender skin that bruises easily and had marks, noises of panic, and always hoping that it was a cruel joke or some dream._ ** **_  
_ ** **_It always stung. It always sent swells of pain through my body._ ** **_  
_ ** **_It was a coarse whiskey tongue licking at skin, stubby fingers painfully curled into fur, and every time my eyes would close, my head was bashed onto the hard floor below, demanding that I opened them. I didn't want to. I closed them over and over--anything but to watch his face light up with power. He was angry, his force uncontrolled, and there was often blood on the floor when he was done. My head always lolled like a doll when it was finally over._ ** **_  
_ ** ****_I'd rather be dead instead of told every single time that it was a great ride before being left without a backwards glance, but I never got the chance._

Before Sans knew it, he was dropping the papers and rushing upstairs to check on the young girl, who he simply found lying in a ball on her bed that used to be Frisk’s. He didn’t feel like he should touch her at all, but he couldn’t help it to lie down with her and give her the biggest hug he had ever given anyone before. He gained a pair of tiny paws over one of his big, boney hands, playing with his fingers to remain calm. She had never told anyone before. She didn’t even go into full detail.

“... Why share with me…?” Sans asked softly, trying not to coddle her with the hug although she didn’t seem to really mind too much. She gave him a shrug before lifting her little paws to sign.

_ I figured that someone should know. _ She responded before lying there for a minute, and then continuing.  _ … I’m not… good with love and stuff, but recently I found out what a crush is… _

When Fate trailed off, Sans couldn’t help but be curious.

“... And?” Sans questioned, noticing the side of Fate’s face that he could see was going quite pink.

_ … I think I like some kid in my class. I’m not sure. _ She responded, curling up a little more, if that was even possible.  _ I’m just… afraid, I suppose… _

“You’ll be alright.” Sans reassured her almost instantly, unsure of why he was sure. Damn, that was confusing. “You’re a good kid. Smart, too. You’ll make the right choice in the end.”

There was a long pause, making Sans think that Fate had perhaps fallen asleep.

“Kid…” He addressed the young girl, who flicked her ears to tell him that she was in fact awake and listening. “At a certain point in your life, probably when too much of it has gone by… you will open your eyes and see yourself for who you are, especially for everything that made you so different from all the awful normals. You will say to yourself--but I  **am** this person. And in that statement, that correction… there will be a kind of love.”

There was yet another long pause, as Sans expected that time around, and then Fate flicked her tail in quite the sassy way.

“I hope so…” She responded quite softly, trying to bring the sass into her tone although she failed quite a bit, but that only made Sans embrace his everlasting toothy grin.

Most children tended to become what they were told they were, but Sans found that Fate was different. Hell, even the Devil himself had nothing on her.

Just the thought made him chuckle.


	14. Oh Valentine, oh Valentine, where art thou Valentine?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The school play is approaching quickly, so auditions and the picking of roles happens. We get some insight on how Linda is doing teaching grade five.
> 
> And then it's Valentine's day, in which Fate gets a huge mix of feelings from three different events between before school and Lunch time. Also, Flowey is losing his patience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this done, so it may be a little shorter than the other's, but I figured y'all deserved a little bit of a break from all the huge drama going on.
> 
> Although, there's still drama in this chapter. Drama centered around a bitch and love.
> 
> Oh yah... Drama Drama Llama Llama.

_ 8:05 A.M. February 10th, 20ZS _

_ You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. To live is the rarest thing in the world; most people exist, that is all. I’ve found that if you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Either way, you’re right. _

_ Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. _

_ We are good people, and we’ve suffered enough. _

 

* * *

“ _ Good morning Willow Creek Elementary. I’m your principal, Mr. Sophoclaus, and these are your morning announcements. _ ”

Fate wanted to scream. Nay, she  **was** going to scream. The school play was in a month, so this had to be the morning announcements that would tell her the time and date and all that jazz of the auditions. They had to be, they had to be… After the Winter Concert, she wanted to make up for her bursting into tears on the stage, so she wanted to at least try out for a part in the play.

“ _ Valentine’s Candy Grams are $2.50 each in the gym at Recess and Lunch until the thirteenth. But some for yourself, for your friends, or--if you have one--that special someone. _ ” Mr. Sophoclaus paused awkwardly, as he always did. It was irritating to say the least. “ _ We have a new drama teacher this year, which you may or may not know, so Mrs. Greenewell can take a break. Her name is Ms. Cantre and she’ll be judging the auditions for the Spring play this year, as well as directing and throwing it and… all that. _ ”

Keisha groaned, falling straight onto her desk, and in a surprising way, Fate could actually relate to her. Mr. Sophoclaus took way too long to make the morning announcements and to get to the point. He was evasive in a way…

“ _ Speaking of the Spring play, it will be  _ **_Alice In Wonderland_ ** _ this year! The auditions will be in the auditorium after school today from 3:15 to 4:30-5:00. _ ”

Fate tuned out the rest. She heard what she needed to. Ms. Cantre, huh… hopefully she was as nice as Mrs. Greenewell. At least it wasn’t Linda…

* * *

Ashley Bredan entered the auditorium first, the long line out the door just causing so much anxiety for many of the kids, and they only heard Ms. Cantre call something about no room. Ashley stormed down one of the paths that lead to the stage, stopping in front of Ms. Cantre, who was a tall dirty blonde lady with astonishing hazel eyes and a neutral expression. She motioned to herself.

“I’m the Mad Hatter.” She introduced before motioning to each seat and either side of her. “That’s the March Hare, and this is the Dormouse.”

“Whatever.” Ashley snapped, waiting to be given a paper with monologue. “I wanna be Alice, and I  **always** get what I want…”

The tone was dangerous, but Ms. Cantre paid no attention to it and simply handed a paper to the girl, who stormed up onto the stage, read the monologue loudly and out of tone. Ms. Cantre said her thanks, and then dismissed Ashley. Madison Succorkit came next,, wanting to be Alice… how tedious. Madison went up onto the stage, not even looking at the paper, and read the monologue in a sickly sweet tone before bowing dramatically, laving Ms. Cantre to slouch in her chair a bit. The girls kept on coming.

“I’ll make a killer Alice!”  
“I look **just** like her!”  
“I want Alice, and you should know that I’m a depressive.”

Ms. Cantre found herself mostly out of her chair by the time the first boy came in: Joshua Morris. He was anxious and fiddling with his fingers, and Ms. Cantre was emotionless.

“No room, no room.” She repeated like all the other times, in which Joshua gave her a strange look before brightening up.

“Oh! Um… May I have some tea?” Joshua asked, a bit unnerved by how Ms. Cantre’s body didn’t move, but her eyes flicked towards him and then her lips grew into a smile.  **Then** she sat up straight, obviously already happy with him, which he was okay with.

“... Welcome to the tea party.” She greeted, bringing Joshua to stop fiddling so much in favor for grinning with absolute glee. “Which role would you like to try out for? King of Hearts? White Knight?”

Joshua’s grin fell a little bit as he started to fiddle again, shaking his head and speaking softly.

“... Queen of Hearts…” Joshua told her, his voice barely audible, and she stared at him for a moment. “... U-Unless that’s--”

“No, no, no…” Ms. Cantre trailed off, grabbing the script and passing it to him gently, giving him a soft smile. “... Please. Be my guest.”

Joshua brightened up once more, taking the paper cautiously before rushing up onto the stage, ready to recite the monologue. He was absolutely hyped.

“And just what do we have here, hmm?” Joshua questioned, placing the sheet down and clasping his hands in front of him like he was royalty. He just slid into the part right away, no questions or stalling. “ **Silence** ! We speak the Queen’s English here, you nameless little whelp!” He paused, letting some dialogue go by. “ **Alice** ? That’s impossible, everyone knows that Alice doesn’t live here anymore!” Another pause. “ **Your** way home? You’ll find  **my** way home, or we’ll  **cut off your head** !”

There was a pause, and then Joshua gave a polite bow, picking up the paper and returning it to the grinning Ms. Cantre. He left the auditorium, and she tried to remain hopeful for the rest of the children. Many came on gone, none as good as Joshua, until a certain pair of three came puttering along through the doors. Two sat down to wait, and the one came to collect their paper of monologue, although all three were auditioning for different parts.

And Adar was going to try for the Mad Hatter.

“It’s not a birthday party. It’s an unbirthday party.” Adar sighed, their tone simply hiding the tone of a mad man behind their current voice. It was great, and sent the Pickering twins into a fit of giggles. “Well, you only have one birthday each year, but you have three hundred and sixty-four unbirthdays! It’s  **so** much more fun to make up your own rules!”

When Adar was done, the stage was given to the twins, who didn’t need a paper as the rushed up onto the stage together. Glancing to each other, they stared ahead as they spoke in unison--quite creepily considering how accurate they were alongside each other.

“Oh, how do you do, Sorry!” They spoke together before Lena broke off.

“I’m Tweedle Dum.” She introduced before Leo took the speech from her.

“And I’m Tweedle Dee.” He introduced before they brought it back into unison again.

“I’ve never met anyone named Sorry before.” They spoke before Lena spoke, turning to her twin.

“No, I’m Tweedle Dee. Your Tweedle Dum.” She insisted, in which Leo gave her a look.

“Oh, am I? I’m sorry.” He apologized, but Lena only laughed.

“What a coincidence, so is she! Are we related?” Lena questioned no one before the twins started to slap each other, and then they picked up in unison again.

“Oh, how do you do?” They asked no one again, and Ms. Cantre found herself grinning from ear to ear.

What a peculiar pair of twins.

The Pickering’s left, and Ms. Cantre waited… and waited… and waited for about twenty minutes. Then, Fate came in to find the teacher sitting on the stage with a frown, having waited so boringly for the young girl to come in. She was the last one, too. Fate came running down one of the paths between all of the chairs to greet Ms. Cantre, who really didn’t look impressed, and it made Fate feel guilty.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Fate apologized, scratching at her paws anxiously. “I was washing my hands…” Ms. Cantre only handed her a piece of paper.

“I suppose you want to read for Alice…” Ms. Cantre sighed, having heard enough Alice for today, and Fate paused before shrugging a bit, deciding to take the piece of paper cautiously. Ms. Cantre really didn’t look happy…

“... I-I’m sorry I was late. I really am.” Fate insisted, getting no response. “I have to…” She trailed off picking at a small scab on the back of her left paw, not meaning to show of her missing fingers although Ms. Cantre took quite the interested look. Fate didn’t really like it, but she was so anxious, so she couldn’t stop scratching. “I have to… wash my hands, a certain amount of times.”

Ms. Cantre seemed to pause for a moment, contemplating the girl’s confession, an then gave a nod, taking a deep breath and standing up to watch the girl’s recite of the monologue given for Alice. Somehow, while speaking and picking and scratching at her paws, she managed to memorize the little bit of Alice’s monologue, holding the paper at her side in case as she stood on the stage, looking out over all of the chairs. Last time she stood on that stage, she was crying. This time, she was anxious. But she still had hope that she could do a good job.

“How strange everything is today. Let me think...” Fate started, and Ms. Cantre took a breath in thought. “Was I the same when I woke up this morning? I almost think I could remember feeling a little different… but…” Fate paused, seeming to tap into something personal that brought Ms. Cantre to definitely think of something. Perhaps something too close to home. “If I’m not the same, the next question is… Who in the world am I?”

The ghost of a smile remained on Fate’s face for a moment before she took a deep breath and scrambled to move, taking off the stage and handing the paper back to Ms. Cantre with a soft apology before rushing out of the auditorium, leaving Ms. Cantre to take a seat and have to think about that little girl. She seemed familiar in one way, but so odd in another… almost like she had been there the whole time.

Just invisible.

 

* * *

8:10 A.M. February 11th, 20ZS

Fate was overly anxious, as per usual. Not only was she in between a laughing Adianna and a making-jokes Destiny, but the morning announcements were five minutes late… six minutes late… seven minutes late…  **too late** . It was tantalizing. It was like they wanted her to have a heart attack, and honestly, maybe she’d just have a panic attack instead.

“ _ Good morning, Willow Creek Elementary. I’m your principal, Mr. Sophoclaus, and these are the morning announcements. _ ”

Nevermind. That sudden shock of “principal voice” gave her the right amount of heart attack to start her day off. Valentine’s Candy Gras, some other school stuff, blah blah blah… the good stuff was always at the end and Fate was getting used to it--aka, getting tired of it and irritated by it.

“ _ And now, for our school play winners, picked by our lovely Ms. Cantre! _ ”

Fate’s knee hit her desk and she let out a sound that was both inhumane and not monster-like, causing everything to stare before laughing behind their hands at her, save from a couple people. She didn’t know why she was so anxious. In her opinion, Alice was a blonde-haired human beauty and Fate was a gray-furred monster ugly.

“ _For the Mad Hatter--Adar Pickering!_ ” Wow, that really fits. Nonetheless, Fate was still anxious.  
“ _For the Caterpillar--Kyle Jekyll!_ ” Keisha spat out her water and started to choke. It was fairly hilarious, to be fair.  
“ _For the White Knight--Klahan Acerbi!_ ” Fate thought that was fitting, too.  
“ _For Card One and Card Two--Madison Succorkit and Ashley Bredan!_ ” Chandler almost shrieked with laughter.  
“ _For Tweedledee and Tweedledum--Leo and Lena Pickering!_ ” At this point, Fate couldn’t tell the difference between Keisha and a tomato.  
“ _For the White Rabbit--Cara Velaquez!_ ” Fate wanted to see that, honestly.  
“ _For the Queen of Hearts--Joshua Morris!_ ” So many people shrieked, causing both Fate and Chandler to scrunch up in ways that blocked noise.  
“ _For the Cheshire Cat--Judith Acerbi!_ ” Fate felt happy for Judith, but much more anxious.

As more names were called for some other roles, she found herself flapping her hands about much like Chandler tended to do with certain emotions and all--except she just needed something to try and distract herself.

“Calm down before you blow the roof off.” Adianna suddenly told her, causing her to put her hands down and pat her knees instead, not expecting anything after that  except maybe five minutes of crying in the bathroom during lunch. But no.

“Don’t be rude, Adianna. She’s obviously anxious!” Destiny defended, causing Adianna to go silent immediately, and Fate’s face burned a bright pink with embarrassment. A minute passed, and then Destiny was suddenly in her personal space, whispering to her. “What are you anxious about, though…?”

_ … I tried for Alice. _ She responded after a moment, not looking up at anyone or anything.  _ But I’m not blonde or human or beautiful. _

There was a pause, and then Destiny spoke up.

“I think you’re beautiful.”

Fate choked.

“ _ And Alice… Fate Dreemurr!? _ ”

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Fate wanted to yell. She wanted to scream because she got the part and her luck had been the best with auditions for some reason. But she could only stare, disbelieving, into the first pair of eyes she had stared into since she escaped the Abaddon.

The bright, magnificent, green-speckled hazel eyes of Destiny Allyn.

 

* * *

Linda was going to scream.

She had been trained in the basic techniques of subduing a small population when they weren’t in the mood to listen. She knew all the fifth grade parents, so she could hurt the kids if they didn’t comply. These entitled brats needed to work, and she wasn’t even sure anymore if she cared whether they succeeded or not.

Because of this damn, inappropriate drawing of herself. Her breasts were  **not** that large and all of these… men parts made no sense. She had a husband! She had three children, which were enough considering their nearly uncontrollable ways. Dare she admit that, if she had breasts like that, she would have married a King instead of William, who did whatever he did these days.

She was going to find out who in the name of God drew this disastrous piece of her…

After she added in that belly button piercing only her husband and few of her old friends knew about to correct the damned piece of art. How  **dare** someone draw her wrong!?

 

* * *

7:55 A.M., February 14th, 20ZS

Fate never thought it would come down to this. She never thought that she’d go to her desk with Flowey in her arms only to have to place the sentient flower over a dark red letter. For once, she wished she couldn’t read or had stayed home that day.

**SOCIALLY INEPT FREAK**

For Fate Dreemurr’s desk had been mysteriously graffitied with a permanent red marker, and instead of trying to find the culprit, Ms. Cotler kindly asked Fate to wash her desk before class started in five minutes. Fate craved death after being handed a bucket of water and soap alongside a sponge, having to set to work to wash away each letter with nearly fifty harsh scrubs each--and she counted each one with more regret than the last.

Just when the morning announcements started, with a little bit of help from Chandler and Aaron, Fate had managed to erase the words and most of the marker with the exception of a bright red stain. Ms. Cotler took the bucket away and returned right after the morning announcements with a small basket of bags that carried sugar cookies in them. The Valentine’s Candy Grams. Fate had completely forgotten and sat back in her chair with the idea that none of them were for her anyways.

But five had ended up on her desk and she had more than enough cookies to share with her siblings when she got home, and Flowey as well. All of them were addressed to her, not her sentient flower, and there were no mix-ups except the confusion in Fate’s poor little brain.

Fate Dreemurr had not one, not two, but  **five** secret admirers.

Sure, two of them could be from her siblings. Some of them might be from friends, but it just didn’t make sense. There were no signatures, just lovely, differentiated writing on each one that she couldn’t make out past “To: Fate Dreemurr” and the From’s were… different as well. Two were classmates, which made her face burn with regret, two were from the fifth grade classroom, and the last was from the seventh grade, in which only Fate knew Adar in a deeply platonic way even though Adar probably didn’t know that… and Fate had seen Adar’s writing before! This was  **not** it.

She found herself angrily eating sugar cookies because today was full of mysteries. Someone sabotaged her desk, and now she had  **five freaking secret admirers** !? She needed to hope and pray that no one questioned her about this…

But thus, she was not lucky during Recess when the kids piled out of class and she stuck behind.

“You got five.”

Fate wasn’t in the mood to converse with Adianna Rovatta, but nodded anyways, not daring to look up at the human girl, but instead feed Flowey one of her sugar cookies. The sentient flower was grateful, not only for the food, but for the distraction so he didn’t honestly just bite Adianna’s arm straight off. He felt that she needed to stop messing around with Fate’s feelings. He was especially grateful for the distraction when Adianna scoffed and got up from her seat.

“Probably your so-called siblings trying to make you feel better about yourself. There’s no way five different people could admire you.” Adianna told her with an honest tone before taking off into the hallway.

The only one there to see Fate cry was none other than Flowey himself.

 

* * *

Lunch didn’t get much better. Everyone had things to do for class that were important, projects or homework and so on, so Fate ended up outside underneath the big front yard tree that the school hadn’t torn down simply because of its ancestry. She left Flowey inside so he could have some screaming time without worrying about harming her sensitive ears and picked at her lunch, feeling bored and having a loss of appetite over what Adianna had said.

What was her problem? What had Fate ever done to her? The answer was everything and nothing.

So Fate simply sat there, eating bits of her lunch every five minutes and hoping for the day to just be over already. Maybe a tornado would just crash land and they would all be able to go home. Maybe a flood, or a storm, or just something-- **anything** .

And what she got was even worse.

She got none other than Destiny Allyn finding her and taking a seat as he chatted away, in one ear and out the other.

She really didn’t mind having Destiny around, but she didn’t understand why he was just suddenly there. He usually ate lunch with Cass, the Rovatta twins, and some others, but here he was, eating what was left of his lunch with her. To be fair, she actually did listen to most of what he was saying even if it made no sense to her, but she just felt… uneasy having him with her, as if she wasn’t supposed to have him around or like it was against the law. Albeit, Fate hadn’t exactly followed the law very well whether it was back in the Abaddon or out in the world…

“My parents said that your dangerous after what you did to Keisha, but I don’t think so.” Destiny suddenly brought up, snapping Fate into fully listening to what he had to say. It was about her, after all. “What makes you so dangerous? You’re you. No one is you and that is your power, which is a pretty cool power.”

Fate paused, trying to register it all, before lifting her paws up to actually answer him.

_ I’m dangerous because if I cannot bend Heaven, I will raise Hell. _ Fate told him before closing her lunch box with a heavy sigh. Destiny hummed a little bit, still smiling with that stupid, goofy smile he nearly always had.

And then he suddenly grabbed her paw. Her left one, to be exact, the one with missing fingers and the one she was self-conscious about, so she immediately pulled away. Not only from sudden physical contact, which she hated, but because she hated holding hands with her missing fingers. It felt weird…

“... Sorry, I just--” Destiny started, his expression changed to something along the lines of ashamed for once. “I-I didn’t know you were… missing some…” That made Fate feel even worse, and he must’ve noticed. “It’s not a bad thing! You don’t even have to tell me why! I-I just… wanted to hold your hand…”

Fate didn’t even know what the big thing about holding hands was, but nonetheless, the both of them sat there in silence for a couple of minutes. Neither of them spoke, neither of them moved, neither of them made any sound aside from their breathing.

Then, Fate crawled around to Destiny’s other side and offered him her right paw instead, something much more comforting for her. There was a pause, and then Destiny gave his casual grin before cautiously grasping onto Fate’s paw with his own, their little fingers intertwining. To him, her paw was warm, but it felt like stone, rough and unfinished. It was callused and raw, like she had a difficult life and worked twice as hard for everything she had, but he was quite sure that it suited her. What mattered to him was that he was allowed to hold it, as geeky as it sounded thinking about it.

To Fate, Destiny’s paw was smooth and soft, but just rough enough for her to realize that something had definitely happened to him at some point in his nine years of living, albeit she didn’t really mind. Their hands fit perfectly together, completing the spaces left behind apart, and she couldn’t help but take a deep breath to relax. Her paw tingled and her heart beated erratically in her chest, so hard that she thought it might’ve just flown out. There were butterflies--scratch that:  **lions** \--in her stomach, but she felt fine otherwise.

She could finally admit to herself what she knew all along, but was too afraid to admit.

She liked him, a lot.

And he wouldn’t have spent $2.50 on a baggy of sugar cookies for her if he hadn’t liked her, too.


	15. Photograph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The school field trip to the Planetarium takes place shortly before the PTA meeting of March 3rd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so late. I should be sleeping.
> 
> But it's the weekend. So fuck it.
> 
> This chapter is only 2493 words. Please enjoy despite the shortness.

6:45 A.M., March 3rd, 20ZS

Fate had been waiting for the morning since she had abruptly woken up at four am. It felt like so long that she barely believed her eyes when the sharp shadows casted by the street-lamps through the blinds started to fade, diluted by the onset of daylight. Then, a chorus of birds broke the drone of the city traffic, and she knew that it was too early to be up, but she had waited months for this day.

The school field trip to the Planetarium.

Before she knew it, she was getting up onto her little feet and making a rush for her baskets of different clothing that remained at the end of Frisk’s bed, that had honestly become hers over time, to pick out a bit of a new outfit. Grabbing her black and white striped stockings from Halloween, she threw a thin, long-sleeved black shirt before throwing a yellow dress over them, the sleeves of the dress being in the style of thick tank top straps. She decided that she would wear her little brown boots today, and a blue hoodie with sleeves long enough to wrap around her waist and tie, just in case it got too warm inside the Planetarium.

Heading downstairs, Fate sat at the dining room table and peered into the kitchen to see Toriel making breakfast, which brought her to sit right back down in her seat with a little bounce, excited for the field trip. This would be her first time on a field trip and to a Planetarium. She heard all about the Ebott Planetarium from Frisk, and she couldn’t be more enthusiastic about leaving the house. Since the whole school was going, that meant her siblings were coming, and they could all be in a group with the Pickering’s, the Cameron’s, the Rose’s, and the non-bitchy Binchdt’s. They had discussed it last Friday and it was set in stone. Nothing would ruin their plans.

 

* * *

 

Danny was losing his mind. He just couldn’t find the right shirt. Should he go plain? Overwatch? Terraria? Maybe that one Pokemon shirt he happened to get last year? Which would it be!?

Before he could think any further, he pulled on a blue and black striped t-shirt, grabbed his backpack, and rushed out of his room before he could change his mind. Heading to the bathroom, he stood on the tips of his toes in order to lean forward, grabbing his hair brush and doing his best to brush his blue, green and purple hair out of his line of vision. It worked a little bit, but after several tries, he decided to just give up. Peering into his reflecting green eyes, he gave himself a glare as if to command his hair to cooperate--or maybe he was trying to command his brain to do so.

Instead of continuing the odd glaring, he brushed his teeth before grimacing at his appearance. He had to fix his shirt, and then he had to start brushing his hair again because he had focused on his bangs too much. Amber wasn’t even up yet.

“ **_Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes. But it's the only thing that I know. When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes… It is the only thing that makes us feel alive._ ** ”

Danny didn’t usually sing either, but he had nothing better to do unless he wanted to think about the field trip, which really wasn’t much of a bad idea. He loved science, and as a result, he was excited to get to go to Ebott Planetarium.

His excitement was dulled by none of than Aristotle, who must have heard him and stopped bugging his Mother in the kitchen to come and make his life a living Hell instead. He loved his cats with a burning passion, but Aristotle had once sat on his toothbrush, simply for attention.

“What?” He questioned Aristotle, who only meowed back and rubbed up against his stomach.

Great, cat fur. Just what his shirt needed.

 

* * *

Adar often craved death, but not as much as she did now.

Her favorite hoodie was ripped. Someone would soon have a lawsuit on their hands.

Instead of wearing her favorite hoodie, Adar had to compromise with one decorated in constellations, simply because she felt that it was appropriate for the Planetarium field trip. Her jeans were also getting too tight. She’d have to get new ones.

And her backpack was missing, but she knew the culprits of that. Leo and Lena would always hide her backpack in the morning until she either found it, or it was time to go. She didn’t feel like searching today, so she simply went to the kitchen to eat some cereal and have a cup of coffee. She could already hear Oscar’s warning for that morning, “Coffee will stunt your growth.” If anything, it was a joke. Adar was just above average in height, not short for her age like Danny was. No offence to Danny, of course.

Jasmine was busy at work on the kids shared laptop while Leo and Lena kept swamping each other’s waffles in syrup and sprinkles.

“That’s disgusting.” Adar commented towards the twins, who only giggled and continued for a moment longer before actually starting to eat. Adar poured herself a cup of coffee and scratched the cereal idea, grabbing a piece of Jasmine’s toast instead, causing the younger girl to whine and raise a finger threateningly. Albeit, Adar didn’t find it to be a threat.

Only Aaar could pick on her siblings and get away with it.

Unfortunately for her, vice versa existed.

* * *

The buses arrived right at nine am with the PTA parents and the staff as chaperones for the field trip. The kids were all split into groups right away, luckily not by grade, and many kids sighed in relief as they were placed with friends and siblings, and so on. As soon as the bus was on the road, all of the kids were doing something.

Leo, Lena and Melina sat in the front together--Leo by the window, Lena in the middle, and Melina by the walkway--chatting amongst themselves with Maggie and Chandler across the walkway, Chandler seated by the window and Maggie closest to her friends. Chandler didn’t mind, as looking out the window with his headphones in was keeping him from overstimulation in the small space full of children both younger and older than him.

Cass and Destiny sat together with Cass closest to the window and Destiny closest to the walkway, although they were mostly focused on their shared phone where they were playing on a checkers app.

Danny sat between Amber and Adar, with Amber by the window and Adar by the walkway. He was currently tapping his fingers against his knees as if they were a piano, probably doing it along to the song playing through his headphones. Adar herself was humming softly to the song playing through hers.

Frisk sat by the window, Chara by the walkway, and Fate sat in between the eleven year olds with headphones in, with Flowey in her lap while she read a very nice book by the name of “The Princess and the Pea”. Flowey tried to keep up, but Fate was quite the fast reader, so he eventually gave up.

The buses took a mere half hour to reach the Planetarium, in which the kids piled out and the different groups were given chaperones to lead them all around said building. The ten or so little groups se out, each of them getting a tour, some time to mess around with the cool interactive stuff they had, and to attend different showtimes of one of the shows.

Fate found that there were many games on the beautiful computers in the lobby of the Planetarium, which she noted had a large, round dome-shaped roof. It was a very beautiful place with many large pictures of the Chacha Nehru. Inside the Planetarium, there was a large, dark auditorium, and in the auditorium, everyone got a pair of glasses for free to look up at the beautiful roof. The seats that the group sat down in were very comfortable and when they looked up at the roof, it looked like space. There was a general shock when the auditorium became dark, but then everyone saw the planets and stars, like Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Earth, Uranus, Neptune, and even Pluto.

Fate thought that space was very exciting, as they saw how the Universe was supposedly created with the Big Bang and the stars were shining very brightly. She learned that Pluto was made of ice and that there were rocks made of ice floating in Saturn’s rings, and she also learned that the Earth was made of gases. There were so many Black Holes, Galaxies, space showers, meteorites, and so on. For a moment, she thought she was actually in space, seeing the Milky Way and their Solar System. She saw some beautiful shooting stars, falling down at great speed, and she let out a giggle upon wishing that they could all see some aliens as well. She decided to make a drawing of the Universe later.

After the show, everyone ate lunch, the staff of the Planetarium happily took a picture of each group in front of their business building, and then they piled onto the buses to go back. It was a shorter trip than expected, but still very fun. The bus ride back somehow seemed worse than the bus ride there, however. The seats and windows shook with every small bump in the ragged pavement, jostling everyone back and forth before the brakes squealed, causing everyone to lurch forward as the bus came to a stop.

What a day. At least the kids got to go home early.

 

* * *

 

“Just Wear Blue day is next month, on the sixteenth to be exact. On the seventeenth of this month, we will expect a sea of green because it will be St. Patrick’s Day, and the first of April is Easter, in which we hope to have the kids come to school for an event. It’s completely optional, but it’s for charity.”

Linda always had to add “for charity” to make things sound better. If she didn’t, who knew what people would say? She wanted to say that PTA meetings were her threshold, but that was starting to become a lie.

“The Spring School Play is approaching quickly! It’s on March twentieth and I’m sure all of the kids are working hard with our new Drama teacher, Ms. Cantre, to make it a lovely play.” Linda discussed before switching the subject yet again. “The school has decided that this year’s annual bake sale will be held on the twenty-first of June, right after school ends both for that day and for the summer.”

Kicking Diana under the table, the distracted woman was given her cue to talk about certain things.

“There are handouts for the bake sale both in the office and on the side table when you’re heading out the door. They’re due by the end of this month, and you’ll be called in May to reassess.” Diana explained monotonously before returning to her phone, causing Linda to put on the biggest, fakest smile any of them had ever seen.

And that was a feat.

* * *

Fate was ready for this next round of Go Fish. It was the only thing during a PTA meeting that she enjoyed, and the group of friends had a newcomer to their usual PTA game of Go Fish: Isabella Pierce.

_ Leo, got any nines? _ Fate asked, having a card flicked in her directions from across the circle. It brought a smile to her face, and a frown to Leo’s.

“Lena, do you have any ten’s?” Leo asked his sibling beside him, who passed over a card and brought his smile back before turning to the girl beside her with bright blonde pigtails that bounced with every movement she made.

“Mel, do you have any four’s?” Lena asked of Melina bringing the nickname to the attention of everyone. Melina shook her head, and Lena happily went fishing.

“Maggie, do you have any two’s?” Melina asked the girl who was quarter-way around the circle from her, who passed the card over with short crawl before taking back her seat and continuing the game.

“Chara, do you have any six’s?” Maggie questioned across the circle, only to end up going fishing with a small groan.

“Amber, got any three’s?” Chara asked the younger girl, who shook her head and sent Chara fishing before questioning Frisk.

_ Frisk, do you have any five’s? _ Amber asked, in which Frisk flicked the card in her direction with a cheesy grin.

_ Fro, got any eight’s? _ Frisk asked their friend beside them, who gave them the card with a slight look of anger. Frisk was too good at this game.

“Jasmine, give me some seven’s.” Fro suggested, in which Jasmine let out a heavy sigh and passed over her only seven card.

“Jericho, do you have any four’s?” Jasmine asked the older boy, who looked through his collection for a moment.

“Go Fish.” Jericho told Jasmine politely with a slight grin, causing the younger girl to throw her head back and groan before grabbing yet another card from that damned pile of them in the middle of the circle. “Chandler, are there any six’s in your arsenal?” Chandler frowned and handed his six to Jericho, who seemed full of pride at the moment.

“Newcomer Isabella, have you any nine’s?” Chandler questioned the newcomer to the circle, who adjusted her glasses and then shook her head, causing her ponytail to fly back and forth with her movement.

“I have not.” Isabella responded, bringing Chandler to blow a raspberry of defeat before making a bomb explosion type of sound as he grabbed a card from the pile in the middle. “Joshua, do you have any five’s?” Joshua passed the card over, making Isabella grin happily.

“Danny, do you have any three’s?” Joshua questioned before he could realize that Danny only had two cards left, and one of them was being passed to him. If Danny got that last card out…

“Dear Adar, do you happen to have a… well, a seven?” Danny questioned the Pickering beside him.

Everyone paused.

And then Adar passed the card to Danny, who threw the pair down and lifted his empty hands into the air. He was victorious.

Everyone groaned in defeat. Another win for their Danny Cameron.

Fate felt weird for thinking about how this was one of her happiest moments, surrounded by friends and family and having a good time despite it being a PTA meeting. She wished that she could just take a photograph of this moment and keep it forever. Oh well.

She had the memory of this moment stored in her brain forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love domestic moments, tbh???


	16. With The Good Comes The Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Jasmine's birthday, and then Gym Class.
> 
> And it's not any normal Gym Class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2271 words. Still short in my opinion.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains heavy bullying and the use of the R-word.
> 
> I kinda hate myself for writing this chapter, but all will be better when the time comes for kicking ass.

_2:04 P.M., March 7th, 20ZS_ _  
__There are two great days in a person’s life: the day they are born, and the day that discover why._

 

* * *

“ **_Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Jasmine. Happy birthday to you._ ** ”

Jasmine Pickering, now eleven years old, blew out the candles on her birthday cake. She wasn’t one for birthday parties, but she had her small group of friends now, so why not?

That’s how the Pickering’s ended up with the Dreemurr children plus one sentient flower, the Cameron children, the Rose children, and the two non-bitchy Binchdt’s who managed to escape from their Mother’s grasps by telling her that they were going to the park for a couple of hours. None of them minded, either.

They had ordered pizza, and they were having cake first as a demand from the birthday girl, in which no one could argue. After eating and celebrating for a little bit, they would be heading to go and watch a movie. Oscar would be taking Chandler and Amber around the mall instead of watching the movie because of their dislike to loud noises, and then afterwards they would return back to the Pickering’s home to head out back to their own.

Jasmine’s favorite gift definitely had to be the batch of cookies someone brought. She wasn’t sure who, but they would good cookies considering the smiley faces made out of fondant.

 

* * *

Ms. Cotler happened to know all of her class by now, not only by name and age, but by which subjects they were good at and which subjects they were nearly failing in.

Jaylynne Sollers was a natural in History and Math. The Rovatta twins both exceeded in Math. Chandler Rose was an amazing English student and did wonderful in Math besides long division. Keisha Hofer didn’t do well in any subjects because she copied off of others and forced them to do her work, in which Ms. Cotler always took ten percent off “her” finished project. Aaron Eve was a natural in Science, but still managed to keep up in all of his other subjects besides P.E. Amber Cameron did well in Science as well, most likely because of hr older brother that Ms. Cotler had heard about constantly. Cass Allyn exceeded in Art and Math, while Destiny Allyn exceeded in Science and was currently failing Math.

Then, there was Fate Dreemurr. She had an A in all of her subjects besides History and P.E., which Ms. Cotler could understand. The young girl appeared out of nowhere halfway through the first month of school, which already had her at a disadvantage, but despite her outbursts--such as breaking Keisha’s arm and not really following school rules--she was already doing better than most of her class. In fact, now that Ms. Cotler was looking at the current grades, Fate, Chandler and Aaron were all head-to-head with the highest grades.

She wondered where the idea of mental illnesses held children back. Sure, it affected their lives, but they could still do great things.

Ms. Cotler couldn’t help but feel proud.

 

* * *

10:38 A.M., March 15th, 20ZS

Fate hated P.E. blocks. Not only did it mean always appearing late after all the others because she would  **not** change into her sweatshirt and sweatpants otherwise, but it meant exercise and packing extra shoes in her bag. She hated exercise, and she always ended up taking ten minute breaks without the others because of her injuries. The extra shoes she always had to pack to up necessary space for other things, like books and her lunch. It was a catastrophe.

Not the mention the mix of classes that always ended up in the gym altogether. Today, it happened to be the third, fourth, and fifth grades in the big gym with only two teachers. Fate was ready for death to embrace her. The only good thing about the fifth graders showing up was Jasmine and Isabella.

Or so she thought.

But being split into groups for Four Corner Soccer had her read to embrace death all over again.

There were four corners and twenty-two kids, which meant two teams of six and one team of five. Each of them were numbered either one to six or one to five. Fate found herself in Corner Two with a team of six; she was number one, Pogo Bellatrix was number two, Kyle Jekyll was number three,  Tristan Keynes was number four, Cass Allyn was number five, and Amber Cameron was number six. They all introduced themselves to each other and Fate had a very awkward handshake with Tristan, who was her species, but about a foot taller than her with black fur and sparkling dark brown eyes.

“Two’s!”

Skyler Palkins, Pogo Bellatrix, Jered Asher [one of Fate’s species as well with red fur and dark brown eyes that nearly gave her a heart attack], and Klahan Acerbi took into the gym to grab the soccer ball with their feet. The benches were the goals.

Jered scored against Klahan first, who had to return to behind his bench. He then scored against Skyler, who returned to behind his bench with a bit of shame. Pogo then scored against Jered, who gave a shrug and they both returned to behind their benches.

“Four’s!”

Shavon Rovatta, Tristan Keynes, Peter Keynes [who was the spitting image of his twin brother besides his left ear being slightly crippled], and Aaron Eve took off.

Peter immediately scored out his twin brother, who gave him a shake of the head before returning behind his bench with shame. Aaron then took the ball from Peter and scored out Shavon, who raised a fist jokingly in Aaron’s direction, although the young boy didn’t quite take it as a joke. Aaron,w without even trying, ended up scoring out Peter, in which the young boy bowed apologetically before quickly returning to behind his bench.

“Three’s!”

Keisha Jofer, Kyle Jekyll, Jaylynne Sollers, and Madison Succorkit took off.

Jaylynne scored against Madison, who scoffed and went back to her corner to have a temper tantrum, and then Kyle scored against Jaylynne when she wasn’t looking. Kyle scored against Keisha, who wasn’t even paying attention and returned behind her bench right away, and then he returned behind his bench sooner than later.

“Six’s!”

Chandler and Amber faced off against each other, in which Amber ended up scoring against Chandler, who sighed heavily and gave her a pat on the shoulder before returning to behind his bench.

“Five’s!”

Isabella Pierce, Cass Allyn, Takanashi Hibiki [who was a short girl with bright brown hair pulled up into two poofy pigtails and amber brown eyes], and Jasmine Pickering took off.

The ball rolled around for a bit, and then Takanashi scored against Jasmine, who pouted and returned behind her bench. Cass then scored against Takanashi, who sighed and gave a shrug before returning behind her bench, and then Cass quickly turned and scored against Isabella, who returned behind her bench without much of a fuss.

“One’s!”

Destiny Allyn, Fate Dreemurr, Adianna Rovatta, and Krystal Eve [Aaron’s older sister who was about Tristan’s height with purple fur and seal brown eyes] took off.

Krystal scored against Destiny, who groaned and returned to behind his bench, before Adianna suddenly pushed into Krystal and scored against her. With the raise of both her middle fingers towards Adianna, Krystal returned behind her bench and only calmed down because her younger brother told her to. Fate feared for her life as the ball along with Adianna came heading towards her, and without a second thought, she rushed forward and collided with the human girl, causing the ball to go flying and both girls to fall onto the hard ground with yells.

The ball hit the bench. Fate had scored a point, and Adianna had to return back behind her bench no matter how angry she was.

In that moment, Fate didn’t find P.E. to be that bad.

But she was proven wrong at the end of the class before Lunch, when she had to wait for all the girls to clear out of the girl’s changing room before she could change. Isabella, Jasmine, and Chandler [who had to change in the girl’s changing room because he was biologically female] said their goodbyes to Fate before heading off to Lunch, where they were sure that she was going to meet them anyways, and the last girl’s in the changing room were none other than Keisha Hofer, Adianna Rovatta, and Madison Succorkit.

They had no intention of leaving as they crowded around her, causing her to look up in a confused way.

“Did you have fun in class, scoring against me, you retard?” Adianna questioned, causing Fate to flinch upon hearing that word. Chara had told it it was the one insult they would never use because it just wasn’t good, at all.

Fate decided to just go and change later, planning to get up and leave, but Madison pushed her down and Keisha grabbed her things, pouring out all the contents in her backpack. She still had things from last month in there, and Keisha didn’t hesitate to grab things and list them out. Her book, her homework assignments, her journal--her journal! Keisha threw everything aside and started reading a list Fate had wrote from February thirteenth.

“Finish book report, hand in Science assignment, buy a Candy Gram for Destiny--” Keisha listed out before laughing loudly at the last one, which brought Fate’s face to burn with embarrassment.

“You really think that you’re good enough for him, don’t you?” Adianna questioned, leaning over to meet Fate’s eyes, although the younger girl only adjusted them away again. “Let me tell you: you’re not. You never will be.”

Fate tried to get up and leave again, not caring about her things at the moment, but Madison actually grabbed her and threw her down that time, causing her to land straight down onto her back with a noticeable wince.

“Why do you never change until everyone is gone, you retard?” Adianna questioned, kneeling down beside the poor girl who could barely sit up. “Do you really think that you’re just too good for everyone?”

“Maybe she’s a slut and she just doesn’t want anyone seeing hickeys!” Madison accused, bringing all three of them to laugh although Fate was nowhere near being that. “Hey… We should help her change.”

Before Fate could try and make a run for it, Adianna and Madison tag-teamed on her to keep her mouth shut and pull off her shirt. They were like buzzards, with Keisha cheering them on in the background as they poked and prodded out things to prove what wasn’t real. They eventually left her alone, after Keisha threw Fate’s sweatshirt up onto the top of the lockers in the room, leaving Fate shirtless and trembling on the ground, slowly making her way under the big bench in the middle of the room to try and cover herself up.

She had tears pouring into a puddle under her head as she curled into a ball, unable to think straight. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to  **die** . She just couldn’t handle this.

* * *

When the usual group was half an hour into their Lunch break, they finally realized that Fate was definitely taking far too long, and they all abandoned their hunger to go find their sibling and friend. They entered the gym to find no one there, and then all of the biological females of their group--which was most of them--went into the girl’s changing room.

Adar was the one who found Fate’s shirt, and Chara was the one who found Fate under the middle bench, still crying her eyes out and curled into a ball. Her eyes were open, but she wasn’t able to see them.

“Fate…?” Chara asked softly, gathering everyone’s attention as they made their way over, albeit staying back a bit out of their concern for Fate’s anxiety. Fate was signing, but Chara couldn’t keep up with what she was saying, so she motioned to Adar for Fate’s sweatshirt. The twelve year old didn’t hesitate, handing the shirt over, and Chara very carefully handed the sweatshirt to Fate. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s just us.”

Fate snatched the sweatshirt from her sibling and held it close, pausing for a moment before slowly pulling it on. Their were tear stains on her cheeks and tears still coming, and half of the fur on her face was drenched from her little puddle of extremely salty tears. Adar left the room to go and inform the boys of their group, and everyone else besides Frisk and Chara slowly followed to give the three Dreemurr’s some space.

“It’s alright…” Frisk let out softly, nearly in a whisper, but with the silence that had hung over the atmosphere, both Chara and Fate had heard them.

“... It hurts…” Fate responded just as softly, cautiously reaching out, and Chara very carefully pulled her out from under the bench into their arms.

It felt like forever, but Fate finally calmed down. Chara passed her over to Frisk before standing up to call someone in order to get Fate picked up from school. She didn’t have to go back to class after this. She shouldn’t have to. Until they found whoever did this, Chara was going to convince their Mom to let Fate stay home if she wanted to. Hopefully their Mom would talk to the faculty.

For sure, though, Chara was going to find who the Hell did this and give them the beating of a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect the next chapter to be different.
> 
> After all, I love making all of you think ;))


	17. Is It Fear, or Is It Bravery?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to start learning about the Abaddon, and it's time for Fate to step up her game.
> 
> Also, Ms. Cotler kicks Linda's ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOW, my head really hurts and I'm ready to write a little and sleep or just sleep. I'm unsure at the moment.
> 
> Before you ask, yes. I'm okay. My breakdowns happen sometimes, but I get through them despite the fact the my forehead is bruising and I might just have to do that Anime thing where they put two band-aids in an X shape over their wound whenever they smash their heads into things or whatever.
> 
> I'm just kidding. I won't do that.

_ I’d like to say that the Abaddon isn’t a harmful place. That it’s just a story told at night to frighten children. That it’s just a myth. _

_ But all “myths” have to start somewhere. _

_ And I think it’s about time that you learn about what exactly the Abaddon is. _

_ First of all, let’s get this straight. The Abaddon is  _ **_full_ ** _ of things--little and large, real and unreal. Its history is complex,  _ **_twisted_ ** _ in such a dysfunctional way that one can’t tell if tomorrow is today or has long passed by. Yet, the inhabitants either do or have to carry on as if they haven’t noticed the out of place things. There could be notches on the walls, or the dreams of a familiar sense of forgetting something. _

_ The Abaddon was whatever one feared or whatever one felt it was. It has been, and unfortunately will be, many different things. _

_ But we’re here to talk about what it has been. _

_ It had been resting in a house while a gale raged outside. It had been the sweat drenching skin, the throbbing of eyes, the ringing screams vibrating in ears, and the thumping of hearts against chests with fingers curled into a fist, nails digging into palms. It had been oxygen flooding in and out of lungs, but no sound of rapid breathing. It had been torture to the gut, the stomach churning in tense cramps. It had been paralyzing pain spreading through bodies like icy, liquid metal. _

_ The Abaddon quickly became fear itself. Fear as shackles, fear as a knife in the gut slowly twisted, fear as a constant hammer to the head. They say “There is nothing to fear but fear itself”, and yet many things there are worse than fear. _

_ The only threat to the Abaddon are ones who can realize that fear is a part of being alive. It’s the precursor to bravery. We need it. It wakes us up too what needs to be done. Those who felt it, owned it, and let it ignite their thoughts… They were the real threat against the Abaddon. They were the ones that took their chances. Although, no one has ever escaped the Abaddon before… _

_ Except for two. _

 

* * *

9:55 A.M, March 17th, 20ZS

““There is a warning that fear can change who we are inside--make us compromise where we stand firm. Is our love for one another only in our “anthems” or do we mean it? Would we feed the hungry? Would we home the homeless? If not, why not? What do we fear that keeps us from being the angels of our better natures? Who puts that fear in our hearts and minds?””

The bell for Recess rang loud and clear, bringing Ms. Cotler to place down the book the class was reading, removing her reading glasses from her eyes and letting them hang down from her neck once more with a small smile.

“Finish chapter thirteen by next English class, please. Off you go for your break.” Ms. Cotler told her class, in which most of the students immediately got up to leave the class. A couple stayed behind to either continue reading or to chat in the quiet space.

But it was the overwhelming fear of Fate’s safety that became prominent to Destiny when she hadn't showed up to school for two days in a row that made him stay behind. As far as he knew, in which he liked to think that he knew a lot, Fate enjoyed school more than she enjoyed any holiday that she didn't seem to actually know too much about. Sitting to the right of her in class, Destiny noticed when she wasn't there and she hadn’t been gone for a full day just yet, so suddenly missing two days was out of character for her.

Before he could realize that he was staring at her empty desk, Adianna had sat down on top of it without much respect to its owner.

“Hey, what are you up to?” Adianna questioned without much of a care for the desk she was sitting upon. Before he could register it, he had swatted at her to try and get her off Fate’s desk. “What's the problem?”

“You're sitting on Fate’s desk. It's rude.” Destiny responded, only to hear her scoff a bit in return.

“She's not even here.” Adianna reminded him with a slight laugh, leaning back to take up more room on the brightly red stained desk. “She probably dropped out.”

“... It's still her desk.” Destiny told the human girl with a straightforward tone, completely sure and full of an authoritative tone. “It's still rude.”

Adianna didn't move for a minute, seeming displeased with Destiny’s reaction, and then jumped off of Fate’s desk, heading back to her own with a stomp in her walk and a glare in her expression.

“She's just at home.” Chandler suddenly spoke up towards Destiny, who was glad to have a straight answer from someone who was at least Fate's for-sure friend. “Something happened the other day, so she's been at home.”

Destiny paused for a moment before giving a nod.

“Thanks, Chandler.”

“You’re welcome.”

* * *

There was a time when Ms. Cantre’s thoughts became tormentors, a torture only escapable by sleep, which had become fleeting. But then she realized that if she never “replied”, if she let them float by like a call unanswered, then in time, they would cease. At first they became a little worse, yet soon they ebbed. One day, she noticed that they were gone and just the noticing brought them back a little, but only a faint echo of what they had been. They had been gone for a long time now, those terrifying thoughts, but when she sat in the auditorium, realizing that something was wrong, they just happened to come back.

Because Fate hadn’t been to rehearsals in two days, and the play was in three days time.

It had only been two days, but to Ms. Cantre, the young girl had left behind an ache that came and went, always returning in quiet moments. She understood that nothing good could come of this, but she’d rather hold the pain off for later than sooner. By tomorrow, she would hope for Fate’s return.

If she didn’t, then their paths would diverge and every step would become heavy.

Ms. Cantre could remember what she thought of whenever she would look at Fate. It was a kind of nostalgia, and at first she thought of herself from when she was young, but then she had realized it right before Fate suddenly stopped attending. It was odd of the young girl because she hadn’t missed one day, and then she suddenly missed two.

Ms. Cantre had remembered Fate for exactly who she was, from a place she could barely remember. She was never one who pulled together all of her  **bravery** , but with the right  **patience** , she promised to succeed.

With success came a hope, so she would hope.

 

* * *

The river in the forest was a ribbon of living turquoise, boldly flowing amid the green of the forest. No matter the chatter of the trees, it is steady, welcoming, refreshing. On quiet days, it can be heard to whisper its wisdom. On stormy days, it is lost to all, but those who listen closely. The river always talks, always speaks the wisdom of the water to anyone who treasures its musical words. Even on the rainiest of days, it can be heard beneath the splashes, a scared melody, always moving, always present.

This was where Dacian had been coming with his troubled thoughts since he was merely a child. The river was a slice of mellow harmony amid the fragrant leaves. It flowed like time, always onward. He liked to think that one day, these placid waters would enter that great ocean, each drop a vital part of what becomes the mighty aquatic world.

So it was here that Dacian brought Fate after watching her sit, staring out the window, for more than three hours at a time since two days ago. He didn’t know what happened, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know, but he didn’t need to know what happened to bring a troubled child to his favorite spot. She was unnerved by the forest and the river both when they went the first time, but the second time she calmed down a bit more, and now was the third time. Dacian had promised to bring his guitar and this Irishmen was quite known for always keeping his promises.

This time, he was even joined by Fate in putting their feet in the rushing water, albeit she clung to the grass they sat in like a lifeline and barely touched her toes in at first. By the time she finally dipped her feet under, about an hour had passed, and neither of them had spoken since leaving the house the young girl resided in. They stayed silent for a couple of minutes longer, and then Fate pointed to Dacian’s guitar that was resting on the grass beside him before mimicking him playing it. With a chuckle, Dacian obliged, removing his guitar from it bag and making sure it was properly tuned, and that the strap was around him because he was  **not** losing another guitar in this river, before he paused.

“... What do ye want me to play?” Dacian questioned the young girl, who paused to think, and then gave a shrug. “Well, there’s two songs I can tink of right off de bat. Shiver by Lucy Rose, or a song of an Irishman?”

Fate almost immediately lit up.

_ You write songs? _ She questioned, full of curiosity, and Dacian gave her a nod with a big grin, readying his guitar.

“No, but I’ll take that as a “please play it”.” Dacian teased, gaining a shrug and frantic nodding from the young girl.

_ Yes, please! _

And so, Dacian played.

“ **_Your looks could kill, the pain I feel, your thrills are all I wanna gain. I've been hoping and soul searching, to find it in… the one. I am wondering, how you wandered in. I am asking are you staying, or would you like to stay in. Cause I… love to live and I live for you, I live to love and I love you. You._ ** ”

As Dacian played out the note, Fate kicked up a little water with her little feet, staring at the burns that were slowly healing up and leaving behind their scars. It was a slow process, but she believed in it.

“ **_Your lips could heal the scars they deal. You’re unreal, it’s so surreal, that you’re mine. I've been wishing and daydreaming. Ineffable, unexplainable, come rain or shine. Oh, I… love to live, I live for you. I live to love, I love you. I love to live, I live for you. I live to love, I love you. You._ ** ”

It was in that moment that Fate got a sudden burst of inspiration, starting to shake her feet to get the water off as she reached for her socks and boots. Dacian paused before packing up his guitar and reaching for his own socks and shoes.

“Did somethin’ ‘appen?” Dacian questioned, in which Fate nodded a little bit.

_ I love your singing. You sound less Irish, but still really good. _ Fate signed before slipping on her socks.  _ I just got a sudden burst of inspiration for something. I think I can go back to school tomorrow if I see it through. _

Dacian let out a laugh and grabbed his guitar, taking a stand.

“Let’s get ye home, den.”

 

* * *

_ Sweet child, it is a myth that the strong bully the weak. It is those who cannot handle their stress with grace, who attack the gentle natured. You are attacked because you have self restraint, a trait often only seen in adults. You are mature beyond your years, although you are still a child. Those bullied are often the “too much” children; they are too clever, too pretty, too kind… the things said to justify the abuse are false. They are excuses and no more. _

One thing Fate remembered from her original home was that baking cake was the default activity in the house. If she closed her eyes now, she could still se glass jars all lined up on the shelf with every flavorful addition you could imagine and probably a few you can’t. They measured the ingredients like a science and decorated like an art.

_ No person can tell you who or what you are, for you build yourself with your own choices, as do they. With every choice to be unkind, they build themselves to be unkind. You’re different. That’s good. With every choice you make to be kind, you build yourself into a kinder person. _

Fate knew that she could bake a cake from scratch, but she wasn’t telling anyone how. She could make the finest, most fluffy cakes, but every time Chara would come in to interrupt her when she would have a cake put aside that she didn’t feel was good enough, only to have them ask how she did it. She would simply wag her fingers as if they’d asked for the keys to the family vault.

_ Every great person I know was bullied as a child. That which makes you a target now, will make you great in your lifetime. Through sadness we learn empathy, to know how others feel in pain transforms us, and we make ourselves kinder all the more _

But eventually, Chara wasn’t allowed to touch the most recent cake, because Fate finally felt as if she had done it.

She made the correct one, one that she could certainly make a point with.

 

* * *

8:15 A.M., March 18, 20ZS

Everyone couldn’t help but stare, and no one missed Destiny’s wide grin.

Sweet, juicy strawberries piled atop a rich and crumbly angel fod cake, topped with a soft cloud of hand-whipped cream. The sweet aroma of the cake wafted tantalisingly under the noses of the class, similar to the cartoonish beckoning finger of steam you’d often see on TV.

And Fate had made this, with a little bit of help from each of the Dreemurr’s, even though none of the class members really felt that they deserved it. There was enough for everyone in the class to have one big slice with leftovers behind. Ms. Cotler even got a big slice of her own!

Giving it an experimental bite, Fate couldn’t help but be smug from the gasp Ms. Cotler gave, surprised to find how easily the spongy layer gave way to teeth and how it made their tastebuds sing. After everyone ate, when nine am rolled around, cake crumbs and smears of icing were all that remained of the double layered sponge. With the dessert for breakfast behind them, the chatter in the room rose and fell before Ms. Cotler finally got over her shock and collected the plates she borrowed from the staff room, and then started her job. She had felt at home, back when she was a young girl and only her Grandmother would make such a delicious cake, that she completely forgot about her job for awhile.

From the corner of her eye, Fate caught Adianna glaring, but merely gave a pleasant smile. As Chara had been texted by Danny earlier two days ago:

**If someone is willing to do horrible things to you, it's not because they think you're worthless, but because they're scared of you.**

 

* * *

 

The staff stared in shock at the cut-into strawberry cake that Ms. Cotler refused to let them go at least a small slice without. During lunch, they all sat down and ate their food before taking up Ms. Cotler’s offer. Each and every one of them. She wouldn’t let anyone leave without a bite. They all found pleasure in talking over their slices before Geraldine spoke up.

“This is very well done, Liliana.” Geraldine complimented, but Liliana immediately shook her head, brightening up.

“Oh no, one of my students made this, not me! She brought it in unexpectedly and gave me permission to share with all of you.” Liliana explained to them, causing all of them to either start whispering or turn in their seats to stare at her in shock.

“Oh, please, Ms. Cotler… which student could possibly make something so…  **divine** ?” Henrik questioned with a chuckle, taking another bite with a smile. Liliana paused, and then spoke up immediately after watching Linda scrape her plate clean.

“Fate Dreemurr can, Mr. Sophoclaus, and she did.” Liliana responded. Almost immediately Linda started to cough, giving her a look of disbelief. Mary Belle, Geraldine and Helen all exchanged looks because they could believe it.

“You don’t have to lie for that brat, Liliana.” Linda laughed, taking a sip of her “water”. Lilianna had smelt it. It was vodka and Linda knew that she wasn’t allowed to drink on the job, but she did it anyways. “She’s a ruffian. Broke that poor girl’s arm, spat about at kids, yelling in class, flapping her hands around like a freak… that whole Dreemurr family has something wrong with them.”

Liliana paused, and then stood up straight, inhaling a deep breath.

“Mrs. Binchdt, I’d like you to believe my words when I tell you that Fate has the second highest grades in my class, following behind Chandler Rose and being followed by Aaron Eve.” Liliana explained to the blonde-haired woman, who merely scoffed and rolled her eyes. “And before you say anything, monsters are just as equal as us humans and I am not pitying my students for their mental illnesses, but merely encouraging them to keep on going despite.”

Liliana picked up her purse, put away her lunch, and gave a polite bow to the room.

“Also, Chandler is Transgender. Look it up, Martha.” Liliana insulted, knowing that Linda had a Martha in high school that she hated with a passion. She turned her back on the Binchdt before the woman could even think up going red and yelling, and was already halfway out the door when Linda Binchdt screamed at her.

“ **My name is** **_Linda_ ** !”

Liliana couldn’t help but smirk smugly as she pretty much waltzed through the halls back to her classroom. She had some bright kids, and Mrs. Binchdt would come to know that in time whether she liked it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact!: I'm legally diagnosed with Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Complex PTSD/Borderline Personality Disorder, and Mild Autism.
> 
> I also love strawberry cakes and angel food cakes.


	18. Look What Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Racism, accidental puns, and lots of dunking. Lots of dunking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little shorter, but I figured that I should get it out.
> 
> It was fun to write this during school, haha...

_ In these little lost things that sometimes find their way home, the Abaddon has come to teach lessons both honest and awful. Such as that kindness will be your undoing. Such as not all lights can be trusted, but some should be safe. Such as the fact that you’re a little fox among hungry wolves. Such as when a storm is coming, and when a coat should come in use. _

_ So many keys, and yet none to unlock your cage. You’ll do better next time, although you’d jump even higher if you knew what slept there! What is it about you? Why are you so  _ **_brave_ ** _? What’s new with you? _

_ Little vandal. Little beast. The Abaddon will punish you at the feast. _

_ Sneaky rats. How did you slip away…? _

 

* * *

March 20, 20ZS: The Day of Willow Creek’s School Spring Play

**_One_ ** _ ) Keisha Hofer _ _   
_ **_Two_ ** _ ) Madison Succorkit _ _   
_ **_Three_ ** _ )  _ __ Adianna Rovatta

 

* * *

7:07 A.M.   
Ms. Liliana Cotler’s Classroom   
**Mission** : Draw on every single desk   
**Agents** : The Three Dreemurr Musketeers + One Sentient Flower

Every single desk was to be drawn on in colorful markers, most comments good, but two or so of them bad. Not all of them can be listed, but the best were supposed to stand out the most anyways. That's how this was going to work, and it was Ms. Cotler’s fault for leaving the door unlocked.

So, it went like this.

Cass Allyn had “Honest” written on it because Cass was the most honest person in the class that Fate knew.

Destiny Allyn, courtesy of Frisk interrupted by Chara, had “Awesome” written on it. Frisk wanted to write something else, but Chara wrote it before their sibling could get the marker close to the desk.   
Amber Cameron had “Queen” written on her desk, courtesy of none other than Frisk Dreemurr themself.

Aaron Eve had “wonderful nerd” written on it because Fate knew that Aaron considered himself a nerd, but not wonderful although he really was.

Keisha Hofer had “Drama Peasant” written on her desk because she wasn't a queen of any kind, but she started a lot of unnecessary drama.

Chandler Rose had “Talented” written on his desk in small letters so he wouldn't get frustrated trying to clean it off, but he would still have a meaningful message. Fate loved his voice, no matter how he used it.

Shavon Rovatta had “Picky, but pretty okay” written on it me Fate wasn't sure what else to say but the truth.

Jaylynne Sollers had “Promised Potential” written on her desk because she was hanging out with Keisha even though she obviously disapproved of the bullying Keisha did. She had potential towards other things and didn't need Keisha to drag her down.

And the big finish was with the desk of Adianna Rovatta.

“Write “BITCH”!” Flowey called from Fate’s desk, hoping for the three siblings to actually listen for once.

So, in a collaboration of bright colors, the Dreemurr’s wrote “BITCH”, including a passive-aggressive heart that Chara had put at the end of it. It was a nice touch.

When Fate returned to her desk, she found that Frisk had written a dark blue “lovely” across it in small letters so she wouldn’t have too hard of a time removing it when Ms. Cotler asked the class to do so. Chara had written on the chalkboard despite Fate telling them not to, in which the big bubble letters read “Ms. Cotler had a nice butt”, to Fate’s dismay. Chara just couldn’t control themself when it came to these kinds of things, but maybe that was a good thing. It made for an interesting story.

At eight am, when the first bell rang, Fate could barely contain her enthusiasm when everyone started coming in to the classroom only to see the words or phrases on their desks. Most of them were happy, giggled or stared in shock at what was written--and then there were the few forced to glare at what was written on their desks. Ms. Cotler came in, stared at the board for a good two minutes, and then shook her head, grabbing the chalk brush and erasing the words written in chalk. Everyone was given a cloth and told to clean up their desks during the morning announcements, in which they did as they were told.

Act One, Complete.

 

* * *

10:07 A.M.   
Mrs. Linda Binchdt’s Classroom   
**Mission** : Pull a Massive Prank on Madison Succorkit   
**Agents** : Jasmine Pickering, Pogo Bellatrix, Skyler Palkins, Krystal Eve, and The Keynes Twins

With the combined effort of five, the ultimate prank had been placed in the fifth grade classroom during Recess while Linda Binchdt was out for her annual break time smoke. Jasmine Pickering had stolen the necessary herbs from her family’s kitchen, Krystal Eve had provided the main start to the prank, the Keynes Twins had brought every other necessary piece, and then with Pogo Bellatrix and Skyler Palkins combined, the prank with all its pieces were set into piece. Then, they went outside to avoid any suspicion towards them for the prank, and they waited for Recess to end.

Returning to class starting at 10:30 A.M., Madison arrived late back from the break as per usual and made her way towards her desk. Krystal couldn’t help but let out a strangled giggle from behind her pursed lips, trying to keep a straight face, but she ended up just having to turn away from Madison to evade any avoidance towards her taking a seat.

And when she did, exactly when Linda returned to class like every single day, the results were hectic.

The piercing blow of the classic whoopee cushion was let out, bringing everyone’s attention to Madison, but that as its only job despite blowing off the pin holding everything together. One thing went to another--a presentation screen fell down, pencils fell over, an eraser flew to hit the on button of the projector before another eraser fell to start a video Madison had uploaded online to her private Youtube account that Pogo had hacked into featuring her twerking away towards the camera, then came to pieces falling into a pile of papers featuring all of Madison’s bad grades flying all over the place, and then came the finale. A bucket of water splashed down on top of Madison, full of herbs from Oregano to Chili Powder, and the ten year old girl shrieked t the top of her lungs, throwing up her hands and closing her eyes as her hair fell over her face with a “shloop”.

And everyone burst into laughter.

Linda rushed over to keep the girl from throwing a temper tantrum, but then slipped on the herbed water herself, her heels going flying as she landed straight down on her back.

“... Something popped…” She groaned to herself, and the laughter only consumed to room as it erupted once more, Madison’s shrieking going unheard in the background.

Act Two, Complete.

* * *

7:45 P.M.   
Willow Creek Auditorium

With a small creak from the chairs around them, the  **Alice In Wonderland** play was coming to a close soon. The happy chatter and munching among everyone was all part of the experience, with sodas to their right and family sized popcorn to their left, all was as it should have been in the Willow Creek auditorium. As soon as the play had ended, however, and each of the kids were being credited for their characters, as soon as Madison Succorkit and Ashley Bredan made their way to the front of the stage in their card costumes with obviously expensive dresses on underneath…

Amber Cameron and Chandler Rose rushed over to the front of the stage, making themselves as invisible as possible in the dark auditorium, and threw buckets of ice cold water at the pair of girls. It was mostly for Madison, but getting Ashley as well couldn’t hurt, and the children dropped the buckets and made a run for it straight after they had done so. Madison simply stood there, unimpressed that she had been through this twice today now, and Ashley was the one shrieking over her majorly expensive dress and dripping makeup.

“What a  **wonder** …” Ms. Cantre mumbled from near the narrator’s mic, causing everyone to break into heavy laughter.

It was certainly Wonderland in the auditorium tonight.

Act Three, Complete.

 

* * *

7:30 A.M., March 21, 20ZS

Even when Fate sat quietly on the swings, she was seeked out, being found just for another power fix. She was starting to find the trio of Keisha, Madison and Adianna more of some parasites, booting themselves at a cost of others. She couldn’t even have a pleasant morning on the swings…

“What do you think you’re doing here, huh?” Madison questioned lowly, placing her hands on her hips with a scowl. Fate didn’t bother to respond, focusing on the book in her hands and pretending no one was there, but they didn’t like her attitude; they snatched the book from her hands and threw it aside. “We’re talking to you!”

Fate didn’t look up, having a hatred for eye contact because it made her feel small, but as per usual nowadays, they got physical.

“Get up.” Adianna ordered, waiting a minute before pulling the young girl up from the swing she had been on by grabbing the hem of her hoodie. Before Fate could get onto her feet properly, Adianna had let her go, causing her to fall instead of struggle against her grip.

Fate hated the way the three girls looked at her. It was used against her before. It meant that the victim was going to have a real hard time for the rest of the year. She was already having a hard time, honestly, but they didn’t know her well enough. The first step--they thought her to be weak; not strong enough to fight back, not  **brave** enough to speak up against anyone, but she was exactly the opposite. She knew that Keisha and Madison weren’t mean out of malice, but rather an exaggerated sense of self preservation. They weren’t the only ones like it, either. All the kids that went through that home were just the same. Adianna was just horrible--telling people what to wear, teasing other girls, flirting with all of the boys, and just being one of those girls that you wanted to push into a metal locker and bruise all of her face.

Hey that was a good idea…

“You know, you monsters are all the same. You’re violent!” Madison accused, bringing Keisha to rub her previously broken arm as emphasis.

“You’re also overweight, if you haven’t noticed.” Keisha added, and Fate didn’t care. For her species and age, she was completely fine. “You’re practically a baby.”

Fate didn’t care what they had to say, honestly. She just didn’t. They had words, but not actual facts. Society would discriminate for anything you are. No matter how well you’re doing, you’ll never be “up to par”. She wondered why they were all bound in hatred of all things, and when the walls of discrimination would be torn down for good. Probably never, but it didn’t hope to dream.

Instead of saying anything, she grabbed her book that had been tossed aside and shoved it in her bag before slipping it over her shoulders. It was heavy, just like her mind, but she liked to think that one day, they’d have no more walls to tear and the weight of injustice would be something no one would ever have to bear again. The world was a blank slate to be filled by pure imagination.

_ I’ll see two of you in class. _ She simply said before taking off towards the school building, but not before turning back to address none other than Keisha Hofer.  _ By the way, Keisha, I’d like to ask if you where your birth certificate is, because it’s an apology letter from the condom factory. _

“What’s a condom?” Keisha questioned, trying to ruin the joke, but Fate simply gave a pleasant smile.

_ It’s what would have stopped one of the biggest mistakes in the world. _

Keisha shrieked.

 

* * *

_ Being brave means being afraid. The two go hand in hand. First is the fear, then the  _ **_determination_ ** _ not to be ruled by it. Always choose to face fear, to conquer it, for how else are we to make true progress in life? Do not be molded by those who want you conveniently placated; do not shy from the battlefields that are created. Though your heart often beats fast and your fingers tingle from an excess of adrenaline, everyone is a warrior at heart. _

_ Faced with adversity, everyone has an ability for calm and rational thought--to you, that should be a blessing. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact:  
> 9:50 P.M. [Before end of competition] I'm watching the finale of America's Got Talent and Darci Lynne better win or I will lose my shit. She's a beautiful girl.  
> 10:00 P.M. [End of Competition] fUCK YAH DARCI WON HOOOOOO YAHHHHHHH DARCI MY GIIIIIIIIRLLL


	19. The Three Musketeers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get another look at the Pickering's, a little gaze into the life, or really the mornings, of Melina Binchdt, and a small look into Skyline Elementary. More important, three best friends and three very important characters.
> 
> Taking nineteen chapters to be introduced means nothing on the importance of characters. Hell, there are more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Goooooood life is kicking my ass. But!! I'm at the head of my class at school, so there's that. Super cool.
> 
> I feel gross, though. Got overstimulated at White Spot yesterday with family, in which: ew.

_ Every year between midnight on September third and midnight on October thirty-first before it slips into November, the Abaddon is free to roam. Anyone has the chance to escape, anyone has the chance to enter, and the Abaddon itself has a chance to gather more people. It sends out shadows in whatever shape dubs appropriate to collect a person or more with each soul color so that the gates of the Abaddon will open to the group appearing. Sometimes it takes children, sometimes it takes teenagers, sometimes it takes adults, and sometimes it even takes elderly. Sometimes it might even take infants or corpses depending on the time they decide to collect. _

_ It all depends on what the shadows decide is best for their home and resting place. After all, they are a main part of the Abaddon, and the Abaddon itself is unforgiving to any and all. It doesn’t matter if you’ve grown up there or if you’ve just arrived--the Abaddon is worse than sitting on your knees in front of the throne of Satan himself. _

_ The Abaddon was created to carry out a mission. Some could say that it’s really the only thing that really makes sense to them. By a certain time, a certain year and month and day and time, if the Abaddon cannot carry out its given mission, chaos will ensue. Whether it will be a good chaos that extinguishes the Abaddon from existence, or a bad chaos that destroys everything in its path without any  _ **_Mercy_ ** _ … _

_ Well, we’ll just have to find out, won’t we? _

 

* * *

_ 7:15 A.M., March 28, 20ZS _

_ Screw life. _

Adar didn’t usually write in her journal. Actually, the last time she did had been back in December, but this entry was important for her to just write down those two words. That morning, she decided that she was going to just wear a big, baggy black hoodie and dark baggy jeans to school because she couldn’t be bothered to try and wear anything else. She had already set her pillow on fire,  **twice** …

Nonetheless, she had to go downstairs for breakfast and then go to school with her siblings, so she grabbed her backpack with the caution of a fawn before going down the stairs, nearly falling at least three times. She was nearly blinded by the sun coming through the kitchen window and reflecting off of the Pickering’s pale skin, so she just quickly grabbed some toast with peanut butter before sitting down at the head of the table. She was as far away from both the twins along with Jasmine and Oscar as she possibly could be, and Indigo was cooking so there was no need to worry about her.

Oscar, for once, as wearing his glasses instead of contacts. He had probably run out or something of the sort. Jasmine had her hair pulled into half a ponytail, the other half lying down around her shoulders, and a few more freckles than Adar had counted from last night. Leo had a loose braid at the front of his hair, probably done by Lena before food was ready, and Lena herself had her hair in a pair of low pigtails. Adar always found it funny how Lena seemed a little more buff than her twin brother, who was one of the floppiest people besides Jasmine that Adar knew.

“Pigtails look good on you, Lena.” Jasmine complimented out of the blue, bringing Lena to brighten up immediately, her freckled face going rosey from the compliment.

“Yah, I wonder why it’s pigtails out of everything…” Adar mumbled from behind her piece of toast, not having the undertone of teasing like she usually did, but it still brought Lena to puff up her cheeks before blowing a raspberry in the general direction of her eldest sibling. She didn’t miss Jasmine laughing into her cereal, but left her alone because she was just a piece of making Adar’s tease worse at the moment.

“Well, you need to take a shower!” Lena countered a little rudely, in which Adar only sunk down in her seat.

“Oh, shut up, Lena.” Adar argued, and they would’ve kept going, but Oscar let out a sigh, placing down his newspaper and giving each of them a stern look. They went quiet, and he returned to reading his newspaper. “... I’m sure Melina would  **love** to see you in pigtails.”

“ **_Shush, Ada_ ** !”

 

* * *

Melina was troubled.

It wasn’t really anything new for her, but at the same time, it as something different. She was jittery and anxious, biting at her nails. Aiden had wanted to help, but she had a bit of an outburst towards him because she didn’t  **want** any help, so she stood in the bathroom alone, standing on the stool only she used in order to gaze at herself in the mirror.

Her being troubled was just the tip of the iceberg…

Her hair was liquid sunshine against her face, her skin a striking, tanning pale from the time she often spent outside, and the strands flew down her back, stopping in a line midway. It always ended up tousled by the wind, her long hair looking matted and dull, but in a way it gave her that wild look, like her soul was untamed. Her long, loose hair was once a pride and a joy to her, but now it lied in terrible matts and it was another sign of her troubled mind. And yet, in places, there was seemingly chunks pulled out and little hairs from underneath that spot sticking up, trying to cover it back over.

Melina only pulled at it more.

“Melina, five minutes!”

After hearing her Mother yell, she quickly grabbed her hair brush to try and cover the troublesome spot of missing hair. Luckily, it was a cold day, so Melina pulled her hair in two low pigtails and pulled on a purple toque to cover her head. Pulling it up a bit so she could see, a tumble of one of her blonde curls fell. Her hair wasn’t a bland color like her Mother’s that was just a shade nicer than the white of old age, but it was streaked with warm hues of a butterscotch sense. It gave her some warmth, complimenting her pale face rather than making her look washed-out. Her eyes were the same iridescent blue as her Mother, but the freckles that laid over her nose and upper cheeks were the color of caramel, and they came from her Dad.

Or so her Mother told her, but Melina knew that the man she called Dad wasn’t her biological Father.

No one had to know that she knew, though. She was only five, after all. Just a troublesome young child.

 

* * *

 

 

From the street, it looked like nothing. There was just weary double doors painted racing green, closed, which meant nothing. Each door had a closer on top and some bullet holes in it, that wasn’t so good. The chalky paint fell in fragments, leaving the splintered doors a bare tarp, and it whined on its hinges. Ivy gnarled its way through broken windows, tangling its leathery shape throughout the wistful abode.

Jonah knew that he shouldn’t go in, not even with his two best friends, but there was part of him that wasn’t a coward. So, the three of them went in anyways, but not storming in like an old SWAT team. They went in slowly, silently. The air inside was different and he almost felt like running back out right then and there. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, which was once aesthetically pleasing, and the stillness of the villa sent shivers down his spine. There was water dripping from the roof, rhythmically, generating a melancholic melody.

It was a complete mess, to put it nicely.

There were no doors separating the rooms on the ground floor, yet they could be found a few feet into each room, often with large chunks torn out of them and large scratch marks creating cross hatched patterns, and occasionally there was still paint left clinging to the worn wood. Surprisingly, most of the furniture had survived with minimal damage, only a few scratches and chips to their name. There was only one rickety staircase leading to the second floor, again the same long scratch marks could be seen all the way up the wall opposite of the worn, beaten banister. The second floor was in a considerably better state than the ground floor, with all doors still in their rightful places, except with the paint clinging to them, once colorful, was now many shades of yellow. A thick layer of dust settled on everything in sight, giving the place an atmosphere of being untouched for many years, unlike downstairs where the dust hung in the air clearly disturbed at a regular occurence.

The only light source for the dank, dark building were the cracks within the roof and barricades over the windows throwing stripes of light into the near destroyed building.

Jonah knew he was anxious when he felt the wind more keenly in his eyes; it’s that tearless stage when the eyes take on a sheen of water and a tension builds behind them. He kept one flaxen yellow paw on his inhaler kept in his pocket of his Skyline uniform, and the fingers of his other paw wrapped into James’ dark orange paw, feeling how warm his fingers were. James turned back a little bit, his chocolate brown eyes meeting Jonah’s baby blue ones, and couldn’t help but give an uncharacteristic smile.

Olivia then pushed past them, turning only for her amber eyes to show out in the dark place instead of her pitch black fur.

“Stop being so gay with each other or you’ll cause the gay-pocalypse.” She joked with a knowing grin before heading back towards the staircase. Jonah immediately removed his paw from James’, rubbing the sweaty palm on his sweater vest and following behind the dark orange-furred boy, who was following after Olivia. “Where’s the creepy bedroom or whatever?”

“First floor, backroom.” James responded simply, quite monotonous, and the three friends started making their way down the old stairs again.

The more anxious Jonah became, the more pronounced became his intellectualization of the whole process. He rationalized and viewed the problem from different viewpoints. He gambled and sorted the agreement of everyone around him as if he could force a positive outcome by his sheer brilliance of thought. Olivia and James always played along because they knew how anxious Jonah would get without doing it, and they really didn’t need a more-so-panicking Jonah Greene on their paws.

Little did they know, they’d be getting it anyways.

The moment they made their way into the backroom, the kids who had dared them to do this popped out of multiple locations, all screaming and then laughing because all three of them had gotten scared--something that was very hard to make James. The scariest thing, however, was when Jonah silently tumbled, giving James and Olivia barely enough time to shoot out their hands and catch him. Even then, his dead weight was almost too much too prevent the momentum taking him to the ground. The tell tale musical sound from Jonah’s lungs told them that an asthma attack was happening.

He couldn’t draw in his usual lung-full, as if concrete had been poured into his airways, and the panic that came with the lack of air drove him to start gasping, breathing as if the oxygen had been sucked from the air around him. No one died of asthma at the age of eight, did they? Definitely not Jonah, as his best friends knew the exact pocket where he kept his inhaler and Olivia knew how to advise him on how to take it. He took a puff, holding it in for the count of twenty seconds, before slowly expelling the air that tasted of chemicals. It was kind of bitter, really, but after so long with his asthma, Jonah had become associated with it as a way to easier breathing, so in a weird soft of way, he liked it.

“You are such  **assholes** !” Olivia suddenly yelled, losing her cool as she usually did when someone messed with her or her two best friends. The only ones that continued laughing were Fiona Novara, Carolyn Strauss, Jennifer McClanan, and Paris Valintine.

Fiona Novara was an ivory pale girl with long, dark brown hair and dark green eyes that were more of a hazel than anything else, and she wore the darkest of lace-type clothing along with her uniform as if it were relevant for an eight year old girl.

Carolyn Strauss was a pale brown-skinned ten year old girl with chin-length, fluffed up, dark brown hair and hazel green eyes. Everyone knew she was the richest girl and the snobbiest as well, and it was a wonder that Melissa and Elizabeth weren’t with her at the moment.

Jennifer McClanan was a tanned skin eleven year old girl who was quite short, had a small-boned build, and was slightly underweight. She had waist-length, thick, dark brown hair with colorful streaks that was often neat and pulled back into a ponytail or a bun, and she had hazel brown eyes.

Paris Valintine was a smooth, light-ruddy-skinned eleven year old girl who was a little taller than average with a medium, solid build. She had shoulder-length, wiry, bright red hair that she always left out to si around her shoulders, and dark brown, squinty eyes. She had braces and always wore smeared lipstick, although her lips were often chapped.

“Oh please, it’s not our fault that he can’t even breathe right.” Fiona laughed, bringing the other three girls to laugh with her.

“Fuck off, you guys.” Aubree Tanner, a ten year old girl with mid-back length, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes that were reddened, growled before immediately leaving their sides. She had been in on the prank, but knew that it had been taken too far. Everyone knew that she was rude and tended to break rules, but only some people knew that she was a good person when she wanted to be.

“What?” Carolyn questioned with an authoritative tone, laying it on heavily as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I could have you kicked out, Aubree, you know that.”

“I don’t care.” Aubree responded with the crossing of her own arms across her chest. “You didn’t tell me that Jonah was going to be here! You know he has asthma and anxiety, you could’ve actually caused an emergency call! We would’ve  **all** gotten in trouble and he might’ve been taken to the hospital!”

“I don’t care.” Carolyn mimicked the slightly younger girl before motioning to the three girls she was with. “Let’s get out of here, away from these  **freaks** .”

The moment their backs were towards the other four of them, Aubree gave them both of her middle fingers before standing there for a moment with a scowl on her face. Noticing that she was being stared at in three different ways from the monsters beside her, she frowned.

“What!?” She snapped, her face going a bright pink as she stormed away from them, leaving them to take care of each other.

“... Are you alright, Jonah?” Olivia questioned, having calmed down from the initial anger she felt. Jonah paused before giving a nod, having James help him onto his feet.

“Yah, I’ll be fine…” Jonah sighed, brushing his paws off onto his pants with a frown. “... I can’t even breathe right, what does that mean? Am I doing everything wrong or something…?”

Out of character for Olivia Edeline, Jonah received a reassuring hug from the older girl. Olivia was known to be a very angry and rude girl, often getting into fights and falling behind in classes due to suspension, but when it came to her two best friends, she was the softest person you could ever think of. Pulling away, Olivia gave Jonah a calm smile.

“They’re just jealous that you’re getting straight A’s.” Olivia reassured him, causing James to grin a bit, knowing what was coming. She said it all the time. “Your report card spells AAAAAAA, well theirs spell AAAAAAB.”

Jonah’s smile was the brightest one Olivia and James knew of, and his laugh was just as angelic as the way his baby blue eyes stood out from his flaxen yellow fur.

“Let’s get back to class before Carolyn says something stupid.” James suggested, gaining nods from his two best friends.

Throwing her arms over the shoulders of James Owen and Jonah Greene, who linked paws happily over the back of their one female friend, the three musketeers of Skyline Elementary made their way back to the school building across the street… 

Unbeknownst to the shadows lurking behind them.

 

* * *

_ The answer to that is yes. We’ll find out personally. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gooooooooooooooooooooooddddddddddd I love Jonah, James, and Olivia. Aubree is also important. They're all very important.
> 
> Stay tuned.
> 
> Also, the importance of plot? What's that?


	20. Journal Entries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Tukker recommends that Fate should write in a journal every day. Fate decides to do some research into crushes and dating, but is way too young to be taking advice from her siblings, friends, and most definitely not from the internet. A new kid named Tahir appears, and Olivia is here, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's look into our little girl, shall we?

_ 7:30 A.M., April 6th, 20ZS  
_ _ Journal Entry No. One  
_ __ Fate

_ I’m really only writing this because Dr. Tukker says it will help, and that we can’t have so many sessions, so it’s best to write everything down, and then catch up easily the next time we meet. At the end of the day, but I don’t really get it too well. Maybe it will start making sense the more I do it. _

_ I’m a weirdo. That’s what everyone says. Sometimes, I don’t know what people mean when they say things, and that can make me feel alone even when there are people in the room. I’ve found that buses and cars are okay, but I don’t like the feeling of moving about with moving my feet, so I kind of just… kick my feet as if I were running at the same speed so I don’t panic or anything of the sort. _

_ There’s this thing going on at school where we’re talking about what we want to happen with our organs after we die. Organ donation is a huge thing, but Mrs. Toriel said that monsters had no organs to give after we die because we turn to dust. I wondered if dust could be donated, but it apparently can’t. Apparently, it’s either collected and spread on a favorite thing, or it gets swept up in the wind a most likely eaten by maggots. If I wanted maggots to eat it, that’s fine, I guess, but my favorite thing at the moment is probably Destiny. He’s really cool. I wonder how that would work. _

_ I don’t really care. I’ll be dead. _

_ I was being babysat once again the other day by Sans, a kind of uncle of mine if you’re reading this Dr. Tukker, and I questioned him about this whole “crush” thing that’s been going on according to my friends at school. I would’ve asked Krystal my new questions, but the way she answered my old questions was confusing because she kept talking about stuff I didn’t know about. Something they both said was that I should put myself out there and find out if I’m someone he’d like to have sex with. _

_ Well, Sans didn’t say the sex part. Krystal did. I don’t even know what that is, but maybe it’s important or relevant to being liked by someone I like. She said it wasn’t a sibling thing or a friend thing, though, so I’m just more confused now than I was before. _

_ I’ve also found out that my school is actually quite crowded, noisy, and it smells weird in places, but it has a couple of things going for it: some good people, some good subjects, and some really fun things. But… no one really notices me, except for my friends or people who don’t really like me. _

“Hey!”

Looking up from her seat on the bus, sitting between Chara and Frisk, Fate saw Chara talking with a new student that had shown up in their class three days ago. Tahir was a thirteen year old boy who ended up failing grade seven, so he had to redo it, and he just moved to Ebott a month ago. He had light brown skin, sort of like newly bought brown sugar, jet black hair that was shaggy and flew around his head in messy curls, and dark brown eyes concealed by black-rimmed glasses. He was an average height, and Fate had come to know that he had a way with girls because his parents never paid attention to what he was doing.

“Oh, shit. I think she’s racist.” He laughed quietly, quickly looking down from looking over some girl at the back of the bus.

Without Toriel or Asgore to drive them, and because it was too far for Fate to walk on her little legs without hurting herself, the three siblings were taking the bus the couple of blocks down. Tahir always took the bus from across the town because he had been denied access into Skyline. Fate didn’t understand rich kids, really. She didn’t understand Tahir very well either.

 

* * *

_ 3:15 P.M., April 6th, 20ZS  
_ _ Continuing: Journal Entry No. One  
_ __ Fate

_ When I’m learning something new, like how to complete a chapter in a video game or how to get someone to like you, I do a lot of research. I really like research. Apparently, one way to do it is to insult them, but I don’t like being insulted, so I’m not too sure if it’s a guy thing or not. I examine as many sources as possible, like school sources. “Mamacita” is a word, and pick-up lines are apparently some sort of thing you can use, supposedly guaranteed to work. _

_ And I still ask questions. I have to listen to what they say, I think… and I can’t bring up weird things, like my facts and memorized information that I’ve learnt and like to share in relevant situations. I also can’t stare at chests when it comes to girls, because of what Chara calls “boobs”, and I can’t stare at a guy’s lap, because of some sort of insult that’s actually a scientific word according to Cass. Cass is actually very helpful, but she doesn’t know that I like her brother. That would be weird. _

_ The odd trick is knowing when to put my research to use. It’s a lot harder than you might think. I’m awful at picking up signals given by other people, and Chara isn’t very helpful… especially when they called in Tahir to help. I was being smiled at, and I tried to smile back, but when I force myself to smile, it never turns out right. _

_ I scared someone away from across the street. To Tahir, I had “impressive range”, whatever that meant. It wasn’t like I was some sort of gun… was it? _

_ Chara punched someone in the face today. Apparently it was the “right” thing to do, because they had done something supposedly wrong, but Mrs. Toriel says that hitting someone’s face is never right. She said that the girl was nice, but Chara said that she was a twat. _

**_Twat_ ** _. Sometimes a word or phrase gets stuck in my head, like on a loop, and it just plays over and over and over and over. _

When Dacian appeared at the door to take Fate down to the river like usual, the young girl ran up to him immediately, spitting as she yelled.

“ **_Twat_ ** !” She screamed at the top of her lungs, sending Dacian into a scared flail as he tripped down the few stairs leading up to the door of the Dreemurr’s house. Toriel scolded Fate, but the young girl didn’t listen, too busy inhaling oxygen because she had been stuck in a state of mind for too long.

Obviously not in the right mindset to go down to the river, Dacian gave an apologetic bow for showing up and… went back to the police car across the street, where he and Brian had been staying for quite awhile. Toriel sighed and closed the door, frowning down at Fate, and Chara walked past, thwacking Fate over the head with the palm of their hand.

“You’re such a little asshole.” Chara scolded, taking off towards the kitchen.

Fat merely whined, bringing her little paws to the back of her head where she had been hit, and Toriel took off after Chara to scold the child for the physical and verbal actions they had used against their younger sibling.

_ Chara doesn’t let anyone beat me up… except themself. _

 

* * *

_ 3:09 P.M., April 9th, 20ZS  
_ _ Journal Entry No. Four  
_ __ Fate

_ Being in a loud, unfamiliar place can be hard for me. I can’t think. I can’t listen. I just freeze. It’s something Amber Cameron, a classmate and friend of mine, have in common. It’s her birthday today, so we just took the car over to the Cameron’s place early that morning and gave her some gifts, and then we left. She didn’t want a party because having too many people focused on her would be too hard on her, which I can understand. _

_ Sometimes, being touched makes me… jumpy. It has to be a hard touch, uh… pressure. I like enough pressure that it’s there, but it won’t bruise me. I don’t like soft. Is that okay to say to something you like? I’ve been asked before, because of it, if there’s something wrong with my brain… and I think there is, but I’m not sure. It’s more of a comfort thing, than anything else, but it’s apparently wrong to some people. I’m not sure why. _

_ Sometimes, when I feel most alone, I imagine myself in really cold ice. I’m frozen, I’m unable to move… but I’m safe. I’m safe from  _ **_everything_ ** _. Soft touches, rejection, the way my mind works, and the Abaddon--the thing that sort of made me this way. Sort of. I mean, it’s me, but… it didn’t have to be. _

_ I told Tahir about it because he happened to be in the hall, and I know him. I like to think that we trust each other, but I don’t know just yet. _

“Don’t feel bad about it.” Tahir told Fate, the pair sitting on the front steps of the school as they spoke. “The first time is always a shit show, no matter what it is. The first time you like someone, the first time you touch, the first time you kiss, the first time having sex…”

_ What even is that? _ Fate questioned, her face scrunching up in confusion, and Tahir gave her a pressured pat on the back with a chuckle.

“That’s for your parents to tell you about. I mean, personally, it just happened for me a year ago, my twelve year old… curious self. It was on a pool table, and it actually, um… collapsed a minute in. My dick got caught in one of the holes and I never heard from that girl ever again.” Tahir insisted before pausing, and then shrugging a bit. “Or for the internet can explain it to you, but you can’t believe everything on the internet.”

_ The internet… _

_ Sometimes, I wish I was normal. I’m not because I know that 49% of marriages end in divorce, even though supposedly, people tend to stay with the same mate for life. Obviously, they don’t, but… that’s not something you’re supposed to just think of, when you think of spending your life with someone. I’ve heard that some animals mate for life, and they’re compared to people, but… they’re not like people. They’re better. _

 

* * *

_ 11:00 A.M., April 10th, 20ZS  
_ _ Journal Entry No. Five  
_ __ Fate

_ Being unprepared is something I definitely don’t want to be. At least I know the standards, such as dating comes before sex, and engagement and marriage. Sometimes sex comes after marriage, but it really depends on the people. Mrs. Toriel seems to have blocked the computer from letting me research certain things, so I’ll have to ask Chara at some point. But for sure, right now, I’m sure that I want Destiny to be my boyfriend someday, so I’ve decided to look nice whenever I see him. I wear necklaces and bracelets, and I’m consistent with outfits that he compliments me on. _

_ That kind of thing is important to have someone like you, but looking nice is hard. And you can’t just ask someone out, you have to learn the important things about them first. _

_ Do you like movies? _ Fate questioned out of nowhere, after tapping on Destiny’s shoulder to gather his attention. He gave her a confused look, as they were in the middle of History, before responding.

“Yes. I love them.” He told her softly, trying to avoid gathering any attention. He failed, as Cass glanced over her shoulder at them. Fate only continued.

_ Do you have any fears or phobias? _ She questioned, twirling her pencil between her tiny fingers in between the questions. Destiny stared at her for a moment, and she caught Cass making a face between confusion and hilarity.

“Nope.” Destiny responded simply, unsure of why he was being questioned all of the sudden. His face had gone neutral to avoid looking rude.

_ Do you have any favorite winter sports? _ Fate asked, twirling her pencil more consistently, and Destiny blinked a couple of times.

“... I’ve been snowshoeing a couple of times.” Destiny responded with a shrug, trying to give Fate a smile, but failing because he was very confused. “... I, um, honestly hate the cold. So does Cass, but our parents sort of forced us because they thought it would be like it was in the underground up here, but we were quite surprised and couldn’t exactly go back.”

_ I see. _ Fate stated simply before turning away, starting to write again, and Destiny slowly turned to look at Cass, who had turned around to grin at him with a knowing look.

It just made him all the more confused, because he didn’t know what she did.

 

* * *

__ 12:05 P.M., April 10th, 20ZS  
Continuing: Journal Entry No. Five  
Fate

_ When I was back in the Abaddon, if I got upset or stressed, I would hit or band my head or yell. Since getting out, I’ve tried to use replacement behaviors instead, like walking in circles or pacing or scribbling on a piece of paper that I tape to the wall. _

_ Sometimes, I wish I was smooth, like Tahir. Out of all the people I know, he’s the best at both girls and boys. He says that I have to be charming, and that chocolate covered strawberries are very important to give. So, I bought some strawberries and made some fluffy chocolate icing that I covered the strawberries with. I made sure there was a difference in white chocolate, dark chocolate, and regular milk chocolate, and that they were all lactose-free, and then I brought them for the entire class… apparently, that’s not what he meant, but that’s okay. I think. _

_ I’m not sure if I’d want to be like Chara, though. They use a lot of words that get them in trouble, like “skank”. She was talking about Ashley Bredan the other day and the word came up, and I can’t seem to figure out what it means besides that Frisk says it means she’s annoying. _

_ Danny says that, in Science, observable evidence plays a key role in discovery. But to really understand it, you have to ask questions. _

“Excuse me, Ashley?”

Ashley Bredan, alongside Lucas Binchdt, Kyle Jekyll, and the three infamous girls that constantly bullied Fate, turned to see none other than the young monster standing there, headphones around her neck because when they were put by her ears, they worked just as well as earbuds in human ears. Fate hated talking, but she couldn’t get their attention any other way. None of them knew sign language, so she’d just use her soft voice, no louder than a mumble.

“I’m the girl whose sibling punched you the other day.” Fate told her softly, noticing the black eyes Ashley had tried to cover up with makeup. She did very awful with it. “I noticed that… yesterday, you were kissing Ernest, and today, you’re kissing Lucas. I was wondering… how did he “woo” you?”

Taking out a notepad and a pencil, Fate got ready to write notes, but Lucas stepped forward.

“What the  **hell** ?” He questioned, giving her an angry look, and she simply stared up at him before speaking.

“... I-I’m doing research on how to steal a man or a woman--for a friend--and Ashley is the perfect test subject, because she’s a skank.” Fate explained to him, in which Ashley went to snap at her, but everyone else in her group laughing hysterically caused her to just stand there with a bright pink face.

“So, you’re doing research on how to steal someone? Awesome!” Lucas repeated sarcastically, making Fate’s face scrunch up with confusion.

“Lucas, be nice.” Ashley snapped, so others took forward.

“You tryin’ to get laid?” Kyle questioned oddly, not seeming to be rude, but just wondering. He was the only one.

“You gonna tap some ass?” Madison asked, being rude and pushing Kyle for not being angry at her despite his anger issues.

“... I don’t think so… What does that do?” Fate questioned, her voice getting softer because she knew that she was being picked on, but at the same time she wondered if what they were saying were things she should be listening to.

“No, no, no. She means pussy.” Lucas corrected, causing Fate to pause before shaking her head, her ears flapping a bit.

“... Wh-Why would a cat help steal someone…?” Fate asked, her voice ever slightly a whisper, and the group burst into laughter at her literacy. “I-I mean, cats are great… I’m a cat, sort of…”

The group continued laughing, and Fate didn’t understand why they were being so rude. She could almost hear the electricity buzzing from the lights above her due to the stimulation of the group being so loud with their laughter and rude jabs at her way of relating to the outside world, and her writing utensils became long forgotten as she started to curl in on herself, trying to block out the group’s voices and the buzzing electricity that started to reflect its light in her eyes harshly.

_ People think I don’t know when I’m being picked on, but I do. I just don’t understand why they do it, which is worse, in some ways… _

“ **Guys, leave her alone** !” Ashley suddenly screamed as she pushed into Lucas, causing Fate to jump and move back a couple of steps, her eyes trained on the ground underneath her as the group went quiet. “She’s not all there, can’t you see that?”

Feeling embarrassed and accused of something she was not, Fate pulled the hood of her blue hoodie over her head and made a run for the front door of the school as tears built up in her eyes, her breathing heavy and her ears unable to register the ringing of the bell, signalling that class was starting up again. She just couldn’t be in the halls. She couldn’t be in school.

So, she ran out into the open streets of Ebott, making her way to the bus stop where she and her siblings would take the bus home. She knew it was five stops, Gardner Street, and that as long as she had her bus pass, she could go. She had her buss pass, and her backpack, so Frisk would just have to bring Flowey home with them. She felt awful, leaving Flowey in class all the time, but he needed the time away from her so he wouldn’t snap in a way that would harm her feelings.

Just like Ashley had.

Rushing onto the bus as soon as it arrived, she ignored the looks she got from every single person and went to sit down in one of the back seats, starting to kick her feet as the bus moved.

She didn’t even notice the slightly older girl of her kind two seats away until she spoke.

“... Did something happen?” The girl questioned, her amber eyes trained on Fate as she rocked back and forth, staring at the ground, pulling at her hood while she kicked her feet. Fate didn’t want to talk, so she just signed, not caring if she was understood or not.

_ Yes. _ Fate responded simply.

A moment passed, and then the girl moved to sit beside Fate, pulling off her own pair of headphones before taking a deep breath. Fate adjusted her eyes, and stared at the girl’s pitch black fur on her paws. She didn’t even have a hoodie on, just the long-sleeved white shirt of the Skyline girl’s uniform.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The girl questioned, in which Fate raised her hands to accuse the girl of being a stranger, and to talk about how she was told not to talk to strangers, but the girl merely cut her off. “I’m Olivia Edeline.” Fate paused, and then started to sign.

_ I’m Fate Dreemurr… I like this boy, and up until recently, I’ve been… disconnected from the outside world, really. So I’ve been formulating on how to steal someone from another person, because if you can do that, you can easily get someone to like you. _ Fate explained, watching from the corner of her eye as Olivia’s face scrunched up with confusion, but she continued to listen.  _ I was just taking notes, and these kids were laughing at me and asking questions, and I don’t know what I was saying that was so funny. But they kept laughing, harder and harder, and then Ashley Bredan… I am all there, I am! _

“... Some kids are just assholes.” Olivia told her simply, gaining a small nod from her as she continued to kick her feet with the bus movement, the rest of herself relaxing from being so tense and her breathing becoming deeper, more stabilized. “I think the point is that… you just can’t give up.”

As the bus wheeled along, Fate and Olivia bonked their feet and shoulders together multiple times, and eventually started comparing scars on their hands because Olivia noticed Fate’s missing fingers, and knew how bad distinguishing marks and all could decrease self-esteem. She figured that, if Fate knew she wasn’t alone, than maybe she might have a little more confidence. It worked for her, with Jonah and James… They even had the same design of a necklace, except different color schemes.

Fate had a silver key on a small, silver chain, while Olivia had a crimson-colored key on a small, bronze chain They were both the same design of key, however, and they laughed over it as much as it bonded them. There was something about each other that, to the other, made sense and gave them a sense of security, despite not even knowing each other very well. When Fate got off the bus, Olivia didn’t feel right. She felt as if someone important had just suddenly left, like a page being torn out of a book, and yet she felt as if she had just discovered something.

She had a feeling that she would see Fate Dreemurr again.

 

* * *

_ 7:15 A.M., April 15th, 20ZS  
_ _ Journal Entry No. Ten  
_ __ Fate

_ I like rules. They make things clear. Before I do something, I like to know all the rules. If I don’t, then something might happen… and that would make things messy. I don’t like messy too much, except for hair and fur. Messy hair has the tendency to look good or be attractive, and Destiny has messy fur, which I like. _

_ Whoever said “Practice makes perfect” was an idiot. Humans nor monsters can be perfect, because we’re not machines. The best thing you can say about practice is that it makes you… better. Which is why I know that, in order to be a good girlfriend to Destiny, I need to research and then practice. You get good at something when you do it repeatedly, when you get into a routine… _

“If any of you need some fuel, I made cinnamon buns.” Toriel announced when Chara and Frisk came back from their morning walk around the neighbourhood with Asgore, who spent his time watering the flowers in the neighbourhood every morning, afternoon, and evening. Asgore simply smiled to his wife, giving her a hug.

“I have all the sugar I need right here.” Asgore insisted, giving her a kiss on the temple as she smiled, and Chara made a gag motion--and sound--as they grabbed a bottle of water. Fate merely looked up from the yearbook on the kitchen table.

“Did you know that there are 52 boys attending our school?” Fate questioned Chara and Frisk. Chara merely scoffed at Fate’s usual antics, and Frisk gave her a smile as they shook their head. She had started talking a lot more at home, and a little bit at school, which they all found as a great improvement. “11 of them have a name that starts with D, which is nearly 21%, and the national average is only 9%?”

“I %100 don’t care.” Chara joked, ruffling Fate’s fur as they walked by to go upstairs and pack their backpack.

“... No need to be an ass…” Fate muttered under her breath so that no one would hear, before pausing… and then starting to giggle to herself.

She couldn’t come out of her shell. She couldn’t change herself. All this had really been for nothing, and yet, she continued going.

Insanity was repeating the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.

* * *

_ I’m acting erratically. I know that. But here’s what I don’t know. _

_ I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who needs me. I don’t know what I really want most of the time. _

_ … I don’t know what’s coming next… or what to expect…  _

_ Because **everything is changing**. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back into my long chapters. This one was over 4000 words. I'm happy.


	21. Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destiny confuses Fate in more ways than one, a PTA meeting is held introducing a boy named Virgil, and the Dreemurr's have an unexpected house party.
> 
> It's just another usual day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have big plans, so right now, I'm just adding up to explode everything. Adding new characters, new feelings... a little bit of a fucked up way to destroy your feelings when the time comes.
> 
> You're welcome.

_ 11:45 A.M. April 20th, 20ZS  
_ _ Journal Entry No. Fifteen  
_ __ Fate

_ Few people know that the deadliest man-killer is not a large beast, like any big cats such as lions or tigers or even cheetahs. It’s the small annoying one that’s impossible to outrun: the mosquito. _

_ - _

“Hey, Fate. I was actually just gonna ask you if--”

“I can’t hear you. I’m wearing noise-cancelling headphones.” Fate explained loudly, gaining a small nod in return.

There wasn’t even any music playing, but the hallways were too loud and she needed to study, but when she noticed the jeans and shoes standing nearby, she had a feeling that she was being spoken to. She couldn’t really find the care in realizing that it was Destiny because she was a bit too focused on studying to be flustered.

“Th-That’s okay, um…” Destiny trailed off, taking a seat beside her and raising his voice. “I was just going to ask you, if you maybe wanted to--”

“You can shout all you want, but I still can’t hear you.” Fate told him, giving him a confused look. Why would he try when she told him all about them? “These are top-of-the-line. Mrs. Toriel bought them for me because of that reason.”

A moment passed as she continued writing in her notebook, but then Destiny tapped on her shoulder to gather her attention again, giving her a bit of a sympathetic look as he motioned for her to take them off, just for a second. She hesitated, but then removed them, hanging them around her neck as she blinked at him, watching him grin in thanks.

“Hi.” Destiny greeted softly, laughing lightly at her messy fur that the headphones had caused. “... So! You know that Math test we have coming up? I was, uh… just thinking that maybe we could study together.” He paused before smiling a bit, noticing that Fate was just staring, and then the younger girl responded.

“Why would I want to do that…?” Fate questioned, her voice barely above a whisper. Without her noise-cancelling headphones, her voice was much more controlled. “I’m getting an A in Math, and you’re failing. It wouldn’t benefit me at all.”

Fate grabbed her headphones and placed them back on her head, leaving Destiny alone while he sat beside her, just nodding a little bit with pursed lips.

-

_ Mrs. Toriel says you shouldn’t jump into a relationship recklessly. I don’t always love new things, but that’s just a smart survival instinct. Most people I meet don’t even try to understand me, but I know that there are actually many people who are trying, and that’s nice to think about. It’s nice to turn a corner and know who to trust, to smile and gain a smile in return, instead of fearing what’s around every corner because one thing isn’t necessarily like any of the others. It takes me awhile to get used to new things, but once I get used to something, I come to rely on it. _

_ Any relationship, even friendship, can be complicated. You can’t force it. _

 

* * *

5:56 P.M., April 20th, 20ZS

“Now, I know it’s getting late, but we have one more order of business.” Linda addressed the parents in the room. Half of them were yawning, and the other half of them just looked utterly bored, but the PTA meeting had to be finished or she would’ve been considered a bad example for PTA leaders. “Every year, we collaborate with our local high school and our neighboring elementary school to host a “Parent’s Day” dance for the staff and the children, and obviously the parents. So, please welcome this year’s Senior representative from from our local high school, Virgil O’Keefe.”

There was a pause, bringing everyone into a state of confusion, before a boy suddenly appeared from under the table with a shrieking yell, causing everyone to shriek in response and jump from their spots. He got onto his feet calmly and cleared his throat, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

“That was quite disorienting, wasn’t it?” He questioned simply before giving Linda a look, in which she slowly sat down despite not wanting to. She wanted to kick Virgil out, but then she’d be in a bad place amongst her coworkers.

Virgil had curly, dark brown hair that straightened at the ends alongside dark brown eyes that were baggy and dark, seemingly from lack of sleep and possibly from lack of sunlight, making him look like some sort of potential psycho. He also seemed to have a case of resting bitch face, which looked better than “constant bitch face”, which was basically just the faces of Linda, Gloria, and Diana. He wore a black beanie, a red and black striped hoodie that was baggy on his tall, lanky stature, a black t-shirt that had a white skull on it, and apparently a white shirt of some sort underneath it from how the collar looked. He also had on a pair of dark blue, slight baggy skinny jeans that were a little ripped up, a pair of black and white converse with the laces tied around his ankles, and a bunch of random bracelets on each wrist.

“Well, for people with Autism or other sensory issues, life is always like that. All the time.” Virgil continued, his voice loud and clear for everyone to hear. He didn’t drop it at the sight of glares or scowls, or when people rolled their eyes. He looked for the ones who brightened up in interest, and he focused on making them the spotlight. “For people who have a hard time dealing with situations in which there are large groups of people and loud noises and unpredictable lighting, they’re excluded from really fun things, like dances that their siblings or even romantic partners also really, really, really want to go to. So, ladies and gentlemen and… all other kinds of people, I present to you: a friendly dance that is %100 silent.”

“Silent? That’s crazy…” Frank muttered under his breath, barely audible, but a couple of people heard him and sent looks his way.

“I know what you’re thinking. What about the music? Well, there is going to be music.” Virgil reassured everyone, using his hands as a road of explanation. “It will be piped in through wireless headphones for everyone, except those who can’t handle it, in which they can just say “no thank you” to a pair. I’ve already spoken to the Ebott Technology Company, ETC, and they are willing to donate the headphones for this event, if you say yes. It’s very, super cool of them. I just think that… Ebott should be a place that’s inclusive of everyone. Humans, monsters, the LGBTQ+ community, different races… No matter what or who you are, only your actions define you.”

A moment of silence passed over the room, and then Virgil lifted his hands up before dropping them down against his thighs.

“That’s it. Thank you.”

Half of the room clapped for him, and then Linda stood up, not clapping, but having a sickly sweet smile on her face.

“Let’s put it to a vote.” She suggested, and without another moment to pass, everyone agreed. Her smile twitched into a frown before flicking back because she knew there was a chance to get out-voted. But whatever… It was a vote for a reason. “I mean… the Parent’s dance is something that all the kids look forward to each year. Do we really need to change everything to accommodate a couple of kids amongst hundreds of normal ones? A silent dance, it’s just… sad.”

“Neurotypical of you, Mrs. Binchdt.” Virgil immediately spat out, not even adding a sweet smile to make it better. “What’s sad? I’ll tell you what’s sad. My cousin never being able to attend any fun events because the sounds are just so  **overwhelming** . You know… never being invited to a birthday party because you were the kid who couldn’t stop screaming in the shallow end of the pool. The isolation… the loneliness… the  **lack** of experience… that’s sad.”

Linda had gone silent, knowing she was being put on the spot, and the ghost of a smile appeared over Virgil’s face as he turned to the group of adults.

“Shall we vote?” Virgil questioned, gaining silence in return. Standing up straight, he took a deep breath before speaking again. “All the “ayes”.”

More than half of the room had raised their hands, and yet Virgil counted anyways just to keep it fair towards Linda’s ways.

“And the “nays”?”

Less than a quarter of the room raised their hands, and Virgil counted before turning to Linda with a thumbs up.

“The ayes have it. Silent dance, here we come.”

 

* * *

_6:29 P.M., April 27th, 20ZS_ _Journal Entry No. Seventeen_ _Fate_

_ Learning the rules for something is important, but sometimes it feels like… as soon as you learn the rules, they end up changing. Tahir says that you just know when you’re in love, and that love is stronger than a crush… but how? I don’t understand the how part and he won’t explain it, so I’m at a loss, but I suppose that’s okay. Apparently, love is a big emotion and it can take a long time to develop… I still don’t really get it. Maybe I should just put aside all the love for now and focus on like. _

_ - _

The doorbell rang. While Fate jumped, the rest fo the Dreemurr family simply exchanged curious looks, wondering who would be at the door considering that they had no plans of having people over. It was a Friday night, there was that, but it otherwise didn’t make much sense. Who would be coming over in the middle of a heavy rainstorm anyways?

Opening the door, the answer just happened to be the three Cameron’s, who had gotten stuck in the storm after going to the mall after school earlier--just for dinner, nothing else. They only went because Jessica just got paid and because their favorite restaurant was at the edge of the mall, where they didn’t have to go in and worry about Amber having a meltdown. Toriel closed the door behind them and offered them hot drinks, in which they agreed and were allowed into the Dreemurr’s home like they were family.

The moment they sat on the ground, the couch being taken up by the three Dreemurr children, and settled in… the doorbell suddenly rang again.

Oh, what a wonder.

Answering the door for the four Pickering children, the one and only Pierce daughter, and the two non-bitchy Binchdt’s, the group of friends had ended up meeting together at the front doors of the local corner store, and found themselves all stuck in the storm. The Dreemurr’s house was nearby, so they all ran over, and being the hospitable person she was, Toriel invited them in. She decided to bake some snacks for the group as they settled in, so when the doorbell rang again, someone else had to answer. Asgore was busy reading something, and Chara and Frisk called “Not it”, so Fate answered the door. Very awkwardly.

The three Rose’s ended up joining them. And then Fate realized just how many people she knew, who also knew where she lived.

The two Eve siblings arrived alongside the Keyne’s twins and their little sister, who Fate didn’t know the name of but found that she was a quiet girl anyways, and another girl of her kind with black fur and olive green eyes. She came to know that the girl’s name was Janiyah, but that was slightly unimportant because all of the sudden, this storm had brought in a whole group of people that just sat in the living room, drinking hot drinks and having to awkwardly wait out the storm.

And that wasn’t all. One more group came to the door that Fate definitely wasn’t expecting, and she didn’t really know very well besides the one who had rung the doorbell.

She answered the door to see none other than Olivia Edeline, who asked her kindly to not ask how she knew where the young girl lived before asking kindly to allow a little shelter for her and her group of friends, just to get out of the storm.

Fate didn’t ask and just let them all in, motioning to the living room. Some awkward introductions and conversation carried about, but otherwise, the group stayed silent while they waited for Toriel’s snacks and for the storm to end. Fate ended up losing her seat on the couch, ending up between Olivia and a friend of hers who Fate had heard was named Rory. He had bright white fur and shocking ruby red eyes that made her wonder as much about him as the girl beside him, whose name was Ruri and she had jet black fur with emerald green eyes that sparkled as she watched the TV screen. She barely knew Olivia, but somehow, Olivia was someone she couldn’t find herself saying no to.

She also couldn’t find herself staying in a room with so many people. Amber, Danny, Lena and Melina had already moved to the kitchen table in favor of drawing and coloring. Instead of doing that, though, she went into the kitchen with the idea of helping Toriel, who she found busy kneading dough with pie filling off to the side, not even mixed yet.

Fate took it upon herself to grab a chair and mix the filling, in which Toriel stared at her for a moment before smiling and continuing with the dough.

It was very nice to have friends, even when they were new or unexpected.

At least, it was most of the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Virgil is actually my current profile picture!! [25/09/17]


	22. Dance Until You're Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Parent's Day dance arrives, and it plays out pretty okay...
> 
> But May 30th isn't as good of a day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this, but it will turn out okay.
> 
> The good news is that this chapter is 5954 words long!! Yay!!?!
> 
> CAUTION: This chapter contains a school lock down, anxiety, screaming, gunshots, and a lot of crying. Like... a lot of crying because the police are too slow

_ 4:45 P.M., May 20th, 20ZS  
_ __ Journal Entry No. Thirty-Nine  
Fate

_ Most people don’t give a thought for snow, but in December last year, I realized that I had missed it… or at least, what I remembered of it from when I was very little. When it snows, it gets very quiet because snow actually absorbs sound. So, when you get a snowstorm, it’s like sound-proofing the entire planet. Sometimes… Sometimes, I wish it would snow and never stop snowing, you know? _

-

Fate didn’t want to wear fancy clothing, even if it would still be “casual in a way”, but that’s what she ended up with anyways. Well, as fancy as you could get as a child without looking gaudy and like a try-hard. For Fate, that ended up being a calf-length black dress with a couple of ruffles that looked like waves along the fabric more than anything, a pair of simple white socks that had a little bit of lace around them at the top, and a pair of black mary jane shoes. She refused to show off her arms, even if it was spring, quickly approaching summer, so she got away with wearing a dark gray cardigan that even buttoned up in the front.

She absolutely refused to wear any jewellery other than her usual necklaces.

And she had never attended one, but already, she hated school dances.

 

* * *

Melina always sat on the right side of her Mother’s Bugatti Chiron, always kicking her feet just enough to not be noticeable and always staring out the window at whatever she possibly could. She wore a midnight blue dress that went down to her ankles with ¾ sleeves decorated in lace and tiny jewels decorating every single edge. She didn’t like the jewels, but it was necessary to make her Mother happy with her decision of dress. Alongside that, she wore little black wedges that were short enough for her to run around in, but tall enough for her to look “presentable” in, and her hair was pulled back into a french braid.

Aiden and Lucas both had black, irond tuxedos on, but Aiden wasn’t wearing his tuxedo jacket while they were in the car. Melina knew that he “accidentally forget” his tuxedo jacket in the car when they all got out, and she wouldn’t dare snitch on him.

Their Mother was in a fancy dress, which really just looked gaudy, and had on the highest heels in her collection alongside the most expensive jewellery. Had to impress everyone, right? Especially with a twelve year old son that messed around on his phone and switched girlfriends every week, an eleven year old son who was friends with the children she hated, and a five year old daughter who was… well, five.

Oh, the Binchdt’s. What a fucked up family.

 

* * *

Jasmine gladly sat behind her Mother in the back of her Father’s 20ZT Honda Pilot with her seatbelt on and her laptop in her lap so she could work on the script of her comic. She wore a bright blue dress that wrapped around her torso before becoming flowy the rest of the way down to her knees, with the tank top sleeves see-through and half of the torso decorated in jewels that allowed her to look nice, but feel comfortable. She had her hair done in a fishtail braid, courtesy of her Mother, and would be wearing a warm, cropped, black cardigan over her shoulders to keep them and her arms warm. On her feet, she had a simple pair of black and blue flats.

Looking to her left to see Adar staring out the window with a frown, Jasmine couldn’t help but want to snort at how unpresentable her sibling was. With a long, black skirt that went down to her ankles, you would have the idea that Adar tried to dress nice… but with the dark green hiking boots and the big, baggy, black hoodie, it was obvious that she had just given up after putting the skirt on. Jasmine could even imagine her, vividly, staring into the mirror and cringing before saying, “That’s good enough”, and then the rest of the outfit came.

Looking behind her at Lena and Leo, Leo had on a simple pair of dark blue jeans, black runners, and a white dress shirt. Lena had on an ankle-length green dress, where the straps came together to tie around her neck, and she wore her brother’s black tuxedo jacket overtop of it, wearing a simple pair of black flats on her feet. They were five, what could you expect?

Her parents weren’t much different from the five year olds, with her Dad wearing jeans instead of dress pants and her Mother wearing a big jacket that looked like it belonged to her husband instead of her. But Jasmine loved this family.

And she loved her Piplup earrings that totally didn’t match her outfit.

 

* * *

Chandler couldn’t have felt more better with himself than now. Staring in the mirror, he felt like a true boy. He had been developing quickly, an early bloomer, so to make him feel better about his developing biological female body, his Mother had ordered a binder offline. With it on, he felt unstoppable, especially with his Parent’s Day dance outfit. A white dress shirt with long sleeves, a pair of dark blue jeans with black suspenders, and a nice pair of new black runnings shoes, and he was allowed to wear his usual baseball jacket as long as he left his baseball cap at home. He was totally okay with this.

Maggie was having her hair pulled into a milkmaid braid, sitting on a chair in front of the couch so Becca could do it for her, the Mother simply deciding to stay in her work clothing since the outfit was presentable enough. Maggie wore a dull white, different colored flower-printed dress, where the front stopped just above her knees and the back stopped just below them. The two blue and white straps wrapped around her neck and were tied neatly into a bow behind her, and on her feet she wore dark blue flats with pink straps that wrapped around her ankles.

They were all living up to the last name Rose by wearing Rose’s somewhere on their body. Becca had in pink rose earrings, while Maggie wore red rose earrings instead, and Chandler wore a pair of bracelets with rose designs on them.

Chandler was excited. This would be his first ever school event, because it was silent. His Autism always prevented him from doing anything fun, like school dances and all, but he would get to go to this one! The only other one he went to was the Winter Concert, but it wasn’t really a concert in his opinion.

He was weird…

 

* * *

Tristan wanted to die. Not only were his parents awful, but they  **looked** awful. They were just trying to look presentable, but his Father had spilt beer on his shirt more than once by now and his Mother couldn’t find the right hair-do. She ended up with her short, pink-dyed hair in a neat bowl cut--aka, the worst thing she could’ve done with all that hairspray. He cursed that she had hair alongside fur. She was even in her damned wedding dress, which had also been her prom dress many, many years ago.

How did his parents even end up married? Which pastor allowed it?

He was in a simple dark blue dress shirt and black jeans with his usual black and white running shoes, not bothering to deal with anything else. Unlike Peter, who came rushing down the stairs trying to tie his black tie over his dark yellow dress shirt, but Tristan yanked it away from his twin brother and threw it across the room, shaking his head frantically. Peter took the hint and instead tried to flatten his thin, black dress pants down, barely able to look up from his black running shoes.

Their younger sister, Sage was her name because their parents didn’t pick a name for a whole year and the twin boys couldn’t think of anything better after she had gotten into the spice rack they really didn’t need, at least tried. She was wearing a white cardigan over a simple peach-colored dress that went down to her knees, and a pair of white flats with a black rose design. She adjusted her glasses and stood in between her twin brother’s, all three of them cringing at how their parents looked and how their parents were trying to do multiple things at the same time--put on jewellery, put on shoes, and wipe beer off a white dress shirt.

This was a disaster. They were just completely, utterly embarrassed.

“Alright, let’s go!” Their Father suddenly boomed, waddling his way to the front door. In their horror, he grabbed the car keys, and they all linked hands in fear.

Dear whoever, may they make it there and back alive…

 

* * *

Destiny looked upon his withered Father, scared of what words were going to be said to each member of the family, including him.

Joseph Allyn grew more wrinkled with each day; looking as though he had too much skin to cover his wilting frame. His fur was the richest of browns, his eyes the sternests of greens, and he was a proud man. He was strict, disciplined, and of high principal. He was short-tempered and did some wrong in his life, but he wasn’t a bad man. He wore his pride like a parapet, in which Destiny didn’t know whether it was a shield or a barrier. His Father’s judicious intellect, precise eye, and impetuous anger led to a profoundly tarnished reputation amongst their distant relatives. With his ironed, black tuxedo all done up fully with a tie and the buttons and everything, he looked as if he was heading to a business meeting instead of an elementary school dance.

Claire Allyn had something magical about her, with that richest of greens fur and those brightest of hazel eyes. She loved everything her husband did, praising him and making jovial conversation, but all she ever let her children know wasn’t anything about what they did right. It was always about what they did wrong, what they disappointed her with, and the disappointment of a Mother is always hard to get through. She wasn’t the greatest Mother, and she insisted that she was trying, so that’s why none of her children could really come to hate her. With the long, flowy, black and white dress and tall black heels alongside too much jewellery, she looked like a dark disco ball.

Gale Allyn ate food like it was going out of fashion and spent half of his life at the local gym. Now that his teenage spots were gone, he had girls lining up to date him. At home, he was each of his sibling’s nemesis, poking fun at them all day, every single day. No embarrassing secret was untouchable; he fought hard and dirty. But at school and in public, he was a big brother, the kind who shut bullies down when the teachers didn’t do crap. He would walk one of them to class just so certain jerks could see that he had his sibling’s back no matter what. He said he would still do in, even when he went off to college soon. In his simple black dress shirt and bright blue jeans that stood out against his bright brown fur and hazel brown eyes, Joseph let him pass simply because he didn’t want to deal with the argument that always came with telling your teenage son to be more presentable.

Abby Allyn was that one person you would most love and most hate. If you got a cat, she go out and buy one better. If you dropped a dress size, she’d drop two. If you bought a new suit, she’d get one tailored. She had needs, many of them. She was always the smart one, the one who outshone the rest of them. In any room she stepped into, she would be the brightest light. She was the second born, and thought they would deny it, their parent’s favorite. With her auburn brown fur and bright green eyes, she was the belle of the ball. She wore a blue, strapless dress that only went down to just above her knees, barely cupping her chest properly. It had a v-line of jewels before the rest of the fabric, which wrapped around her frame before ending at her left hip with some decorative roses, and then it flowed out in an almost extra way. She was far too happy with how she looked--dress, over-jewelled, wearing black pump wedges--that it was a wonder if she ever felt sad.

Destiny hated being stuck in a white dress shirt with a black dress vest overtop of it, the buttons done up despite them making it too tight, and a pair of baggy black jeans that looked like dress pants--just to fool his parents. He had even begged Gale to take him shopping for new, presentable black running shoes because he refused to wear dress shoes, in which Gale really didn’t mind.

Cass kept herself simple with a long-sleeved blue dress that reached down to just past her knees, the blue fading nicely into white at the waist beyond the small black belt around it. She wore blue flats, a couple of bracelets, and a black cardigan over her dress. The sigh of relief she let out didn’t fly past anyone when her Father decided that he approved, only because she seemed comfortable and presentable enough.

The twins honestly couldn’t wait until Gale moved into a house of his own, and then they could go live with him and do whatever. They could celebrate Halloween!

But that was many years from now.

 

* * *

When Amber came downstairs in a long-sleeved, bright blue dress, Jessica almost bursted into tears. Never once did she expect her daughter to be so excited about attending something with a crowd, but she had heavily insisted on going to see her friends. Amber’s dress was a plain design, but it had a bow on the top of her left hip that sent a ruffled split down the skirt of her dress, pulling half of it into a see-through design while the other half remained a simple bright blue fabric. She wore her hair in a wavy design, pulled over one of her shoulders with a simple white ribbon bunching it together into some sort of loose ponytail, and on her feet were a simple pair of flats with straps, so she wouldn’t lose them at any time during the evening.

Danny came down after her with his hair as neat as possible, wearing a bright blue dress shirt, a pair of black jeans, a black sweater vest, and a pair of white running shoes with black laces. While simple, he matched his younger sister that best he possibly could.

Jessica had to dab away a couple of tears with some tissue to avoid ruining her makeup, and then gave a bright smile, ready to attend the first school event since the Winter Concert.

Her family was changing for the better, and she couldn’t be any more proud of her children.

 

* * *

Fate couldn’t help but be that one person lurking from behind the scenes, sitting in a corner by one of the gym doors to exit into the hallway if necessary. It wasn’t loud, as it was a silent dance, but there were too many people and she just wanted her friends to hurry and show up. Until they did, she would sit there and look out at the crowd.

Keisha Hofer wore her usual over-done makeup and jewellery, with a dress that was white and strapless at the tap, and purple on the bottom. The top was decorated in purple and diamond jewels, while the bottom was flowy and ruffled at the bottom, barely reaching to just above her knees. Her hair was done in sophisticated bun, although she was anything but sophisticated. It actually looked nice…

Jaylynne Sollers wore a simple silver dress with a flowy white skirt that reached down to her knees. She wore a moderate amount of jewellery that made her look nice, and had her hair pulled back into a side-parted ponytail. She surprisingly stood with Kyle Jekyll, who had his hair in a side sweep and wore a dark green dress shirt with a pair of his usual blue jeans, and a pair of black running shoes with neon green laces so he stood out among the crowd ever so slightly. Fate could admire that.

Flannery Parker stood off to the side in a simple black dress that reached down to her knees, but had a design of sleeves that covered his shoulder, but were still in a tank top style. The bottom of her collarbone alongside part of her chest was exposed, but otherwise, she was covered, and she wore a pair of nice black combat boots. Her bright orange hair was pulled back in a ponytail style Fate knew as “beribboned beach waves”, her ribbon a dark blue, and she wore a pair of silver dove earrings along with a bit of pretty pink lipstick, but not enough to be noticeable to anyone who didn’t look hard enough.

On either side of her was Jericho and Joshua Morris, both match in black tuxedos that looked far too small on them--and probably were, considering who their parents were. Gloria only really cared if she looked good, and Frank didn’t give a damn about anything about his own beliefs.

Isabella Pierce was conversing with her parents in a lovely red dress that reached down to just past her knees. It was designed in dark red lace at the edges, the sleeves completely lace, and it slid off her shoulders ever so slightly, the torso wrapping around her frame and the dress free from being stuck to her legs. Her hair was in a French twist, with a twist. It was pretty much just a classic French twist with just that: a twist. Two ponytails pulled back and bobby pins used to twist and secure the style into place before pulling them together into a single ponytail at the nape of Isabella’s neck. Her glasses stayed on fine with the hairstyle, and black went with everything anyways.

Madison Succorkit was currently vegging out on as much chocolate as she could, thinking she was out of sight, but Fate could see her. She wore a simply, bright pink dress decorated in far too many diamonds, after all, and a pair of hot pink flats alongside her hot pink, diamond earrings. Her hair was simply left out and a little wavy, probably from a hair curler.

Fate then spotted Fro making a mad dash for Chara and Frisk in a lovely, casual white dress that stopped just above her knees. It was sleeveless, but in a tank top kind of style with a collar. The tank top part, aside from the collar, was see-through, while the rest fo the dress was plain white and had a row of buttons down the middle. Around her waist was a black ribbon, tid into a neat bow, and the bottom bit of the dress was see-through as well. Her curls had been brushed nicely alongside her fur, which both of them were usually a mess in a good way.

Akina and Namine Blake were having a conversation in a corner opposite from Fate, both of them seeming carefree with whatever it was they were saying. Fate couldn’t read lips.

Akina had on a pair of bright blue wing earrings, a pair of black and white flats, and her hair was pulled into a loose rope braid, which complimented her wild personality and her love of having her hair in a braid. She wore a tank top sleeved mint-colored dress that stopped just above her knees, decorated along the collar, arms and around her waist with bright jewels. The top part of the sleeves with see-through, and the skirt of the dress ahd a see-through veil over it simply out of style.

Namine had on a pair of orange flower earrings, a pair of bright blue flats, and her hair was pulled into a mermaid braid that looked great in her bright blonde hair. Her dress was short-sleeved, mild blue one with a dark blue belt around the waist that went down to just past her knees. The sleeves were made of lace, much like her sister’s dress, and the torso of the dress wrapped around her frame while the rest of it decided not to, due to the belt in the middle. She wore a couple of charm bracelets, but other then that, her arms and legs were bare.

She noticed Ashley in a sparkly pink dress with another girl in a dark red one, both of their hair done the same way, and assumed that was Carol, Ashley’s older sister. Diana had looked hideous earlier…

She recognized Janiyah on the other side of the gym in a sleeveless, dark red dress, the top of it decorated with jewels and a pair of dark green flats. It had straps that wrapped around her neck and little bit of a see-through chest, but otherwise, Fate just thought she looked very nice. Alongside her was Krystal, who wore a sleeveless, midnight blue dress that went down to her ankles and a pair of black flats. Fate couldn’t help but smile a bit when Janiyah passed Krystal her black cardigan because the younger girl had shivered a bit, in which Krystal’s face had erupted into a bright pink as she accepted the cardigan happily. Aaron sat nearby with a pair of the wireless headphones on, simply listening to the music in his black dress shirt and dark blue jeans while his head stayed buried into his chest-hugged knees.

She looked around a little more before spotting a group of people from Skyline. Ruri, Rory, a young girl with blonde hair, one of her kind with black fur and dark brown eyes, Olivia, Jonah, James, a girl who Fate knew from Olivia talking about her named Aubree, and three different boys of her kind.

Ruri was the shortest of the group, just inches shorter than Jonah, and she wore a long-sleeved dress that went down to just below her knees. The top was white and had a top layer of lace, while the sleeves were completely lace, and the skirt was a dark teal that flowed around Ruri’s little legs. The skirt wrapped around her waist tightly with a little rose design at her left hip, and on her feet she had a pair of white maryjanes with midnight blue socks on. From beside her, Rory wore a dark teal dress shirt with a black dress vest overtop of it, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a pair of black running shoes that had dark teal laces.

The girl with immensely wavy dirty blonde hair, pulled into a French braid crown, and chocolate brown eyes looked around nine, and with a quick glance at her purple SOUL, Fate had a feeling that she was Grace Wrightson. The young girl wore a knee-length dark purple dress with a black belt around the waist and a black cardigan overtop of it, a pair of black and peach-colored flats on her feet and a pair of little pearl earrings on.

The boy of her kind with black fur and dark brown eyes covered with a pair of nerd-like black glasses wore a very happy smile on his face, as if he was very much enjoying how his time was being spent. He wore a simple white dress shirt with short sleeves and a dark green long-sleeved shirt underneath it, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of dark green shoes with blue laces. Fate suddenly realized that Jonah had spoken about him before. His name was Nate.

Aubree stood beside him, comically taller than him, oddly in a peachy pink dress that stopped just above her knees. Maybe she liked that color, Fate didn’t know, but Aubree didn’t seem like the pink-liking kind of girl. It was her choice, though. The dress was nice, covering the Tanner girl except for her legs and arms, as the dress was sleeveless aside from the strap around her neck. That didn’t really count, honestly. She had on a pair of bright red flats and wore a couple of bracelets.

Jonah and James were matching, both of them wearing midnight blue dress shirts, black jeans, and dark blue running shoes with white laces. Olivia stood behind both of them, taller than James by a mere couple of inches, wearing a midnight blue dress that was simple and went straight down to just past her knees. On her feet were a pair of matching flats, except they were designed with white roses and two little silver bows.

The three boys were all wearing white dress shirts, dark blue or black jeans, and black or white running shoes with the opposite color of laces. It took a moment, but Fate had heard Olivia and James talking about a Sean, Liam and Carson who were always hanging out a causing trouble despite being in different grades and from very different families. Who she assumed to be Sean, who was in the third grade just like her, had dark blue fur and oddly calming coral-colored eyes. Who she assumed to be Liam, who was in the fourth grade like Destiny and Cass, had cobalt blue fur and dark yellow eyes. The pair of boys were currently arguing and who she assumed to be Carson, who was in the fifth grade and had lilac fur and periwinkle-colored eyes, pushed the boys away from each other, scolding each one of them.

Then, Fate noticed her usual group of friends crowding together on the other side of the gym, plus some extras that were gathering in as well. She supposed that they were kind of her friends, too.

She never realized that she had so many, and that they made her very happy. And so did this dance, honestly. Virgil brought out a very good idea.

She had foolishly forgotten that June was quickly approaching, and that summer was not a good thing.

But she wouldn’t remember just yet.

 

* * *

_ You are ill-equipped to escape the confines of the Abaddon. You took that risk. You were quiet and unsuspecting, and we underestimated you. Both of you. We are a sick and twisted place with unspeakable horrors, but you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. _

_ You are no longer a person. You are a walking monstrosity. You just don’t know it. _

_ But you will. _

 

* * *

_ 10:45 A.M., May 30th, 20ZS _

_ I’ve found that breathing in on the count of four and then breathing out for the count of four is very helpful, especially when doing it four times. You’d be surprised at how deep breathing helps you think. Well, breathing in particular. It really helped the other day when _

-

A three beat musical tone suddenly rang out through the PA system speakers, and everyone exchanged confused looks before realizing that Ms. Cotler had been thrown into a flurry. She went to the door, closing it and locking it before pulling the little drape over the equally little window, and then flicked off the lights.

“Everybody, please quietly stand up and head to the supply closet in the back.” Ms. Cotler advised them all calmly, and immediately without any questions, everyone did as they were told.

No one pushed, no one talked or made a sound, they just went into the supply closet and they all took a seat together. They listened to Ms. Cotler grabbing a couple of things and closing the window curtains before joining them, sitting by the door of the supply closet, which she closed and locked behind her. Everyone looked at her expectantly, and she merely gave each and every one of them a calm, reassuring smile. She raised a finger to her lips, telling them to keep quiet, and no one refused. Even Keisha followed Ms. Cotler’s orders, which was a first.

About five minutes passed, which felt too long, and then Ms. Cotler spoke in a hushed voice.

“If anyone has a phone, turn it to silent or off entirely.” Ms. Cotler told them, her voice barely above a whisper. Those who had them did so without any questions. “Everyone is doing an amazing job so far, I need you to keep it up.”

“Why?” Chandler suddenly asked softly, fiddling with his baseball cap that he had in his hands instead of on his head. Ms. Cotler paused, and then responded.

“Remain calm. This is a lockdown, and we’re waiting for the police to get here.” Ms. Cotler explained, causing many of the kids to look at each other for comfort, leaning into each other or linking hands.

Fate wasn’t expecting to reach for anyone or for anyone to reach for her, but then a paw grabbed onto hers, and she didn’t have to look to know that it was Destiny. Not too long afterwards, Aaron leaned against her shoulder gently, probably not wanting to be a bother but still wanting comfort. She really didn’t mind any little bit.

_ Four seconds of deep breathing in, four seconds of deep breathing out. Four times. _

Squeezing Destiny’s hand to just remind herself that he was there, she felt him squeeze back a little bit. Each and every one of them was scared out of their mind, it was obvious, and even Ms. Cotler had the dull shine of fear in her eyes. A bunch of reassuring smiles were passed around.

And those smiles immediately faded, taken over by fear, when a scream rang out.

On instinct, a couple of kids reflexed to get up and go help, but Ms. Cotler pushed herself against the door, holding up a hand to stop them as she took deep breaths, nearly in tears. All of them were, wondering what had happened and if anyone was hurt. What if someone was  **dead** ? At this point, some kids had started to cry, and Chandler was just doing his best by covering Amber’s eyes while she covered her ears, holding her against him just so she would be able to feel something, just not see or hear. She would have a panic attack, and now was not the time. A couple of other kids started to hold hands even more now, whispered to each other that things would turn out okay, trying to comfort whoever was shaken--which was pretty much all of them at this point.

They all honestly expected to hear gunshots any second and a couple of kids looked at each other, wondering if this was it. A couple of them could only think about what they could do if a stranger suddenly burst into the room, and then the closet, and they figured that they could crash through the window or something. Maybe they could all tackle the person at once, but would that be enough? Just a classroom of twenty-three grade three’s and four’s?

One kid said something about the light, and with a little bit of thought, Fate remembered her lighter. It had been raining today, so she wore her raincoat, and she always brought her lighter everywhere. So, she grabbed it from the pocket of her raincoat, and asked Ms. Cotler if it would be alright. The woman pondered for a moment, and then nodded, so Fate gave everyone a small light source. They were honestly very grateful.

_ Not all lights can be trusted. _ She remembered.  _ But this should be quite safe. _

About an hour had passed, and everyone simply whispered about random things: the upcoming Math test, what they did at the dance, what happened over the past month that was important or fun for them. Eventually, they all just went silent again, and Fate wondered out loud.

“... What do you think we could do if someone stormed in right now…?” She questioned everyone, and when no one had an answer, she simply spoke up again. “I say go for a window. Or maybe we could all tackle them… twenty-four against one.”

“... What is it about you?” Adianna suddenly questioned, surprising Fate a little bit. They hadn’t conversed in the past month or so, and now she was questioning something Fate didn’t really understand. “Why are you so…  **brave** ?”

Oh. Well, Fate didn’t know how to answer that…

“... Little lost things can sometimes find their way home. That gives me courage, not  **bravery** …” Fate responded softly, her voice barely a whisper as she responded, and then everyone went quiet again.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Half an hour passed…

And then, the awaited gunshot arrived just outside the classroom door. Many of them wanted to scream, but they all covered their mouths with at least one of their hands, free hands finding each other in the dark. Fate turned off her lighter, shoving it into her jacket pocket, and Ms. Cotler shuffled away from the closet door in hopes that her shadow wouldn’t be visible.

One gunshot.

Two gunshot.

Three gunshot.

And four hit something metal.

Then another scream rang out.

Five gunshot.

The screaming stopped… 

Everyone was crying at this point, even some of them with tears just welled up in their eyes. Amber and Chandler had started to rock back and forth together, worried about their siblings.

Fate wondered if Brian and Dacian were coming. She wondered if Marcel was, or Adam or Jordan, or anyone. It had already been more than an hour, approaching upon two, and now there were gunshots. They had to come… right?

And then someone started to yell, a voice all too familiar for one.

“Little pig, little pig!” It called out almost mockingly, and then came the tears from Fate. She had kept her composure this whole time, but now she needed both of her paws to cover her mouth and nose to avoid making any sound, pulling her knees up to her chest to make it easier. “ **Let me in** !”

There was a bang against the door, like someone hit it heavily with a baseball bat, and they all jumped, feeling thankful for being in the supply closet. Some of them squeaked, some of them cried even harder. This was not okay, this was not okay… why them of all schools? Why poor, defenseless Willow Creek? Some of them knew exactly why.

“You can run, but you can  **not** hide!” It called out again, a tone of laughter almost hinting through it, and Fate let out a sob from behind her paws, trying not to, but ending up doing it anyways.

_ Come on, come on, come on… _

“It sucks, doesn’t it? The moment when you realize that you don’t know  **shit** .”

A paw was placed over hers, an arm wrapping around her shoulders, and another bang hit the door, causing everyone to jump again. Once again, some squeaked and some started to cry harder. Leaning into whoever was holding her and trying to help her stay quiet, she tried to think of something,  **anything** . Just anything other than what they wanted, anything, anything,  **anything** …

As the classroom door broke down, everyone had the same train of thought.

Then, the supply closet door was simply opened...

Two gunshots rang out… 

Two bodies hit the floor… 

**And everyone screamed** .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I have Sage Diep, and Sage Keynes. They're quite easy to tell apart.
> 
> You're welcome, I suppose.
> 
> jUST WAIT OKAY DON'T SUE ME
> 
> I PROMISE THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS CHAPTER


	23. Nullity Can Only Make The Heart Grow Fonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark, darker, yet darker...
> 
> It's time for an old friend to appear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is only 2380 words. I lost a bit of my inspiration, but it's sliding back in.
> 
> Enjoy, y'all!!

_There are some things you don’t really think about until you’re on the brink with them. Death happens to be one of them. You can fear it all your life, suppressed dealing with the notion, never ready to depart. But time is not a casual acquaintance. It will lead you steadily onward, whether you want to follow or not._

_Many say that when you die, you will meet a robed skeleton holding a scythe. Some say you go to Heaven or Hell. Some say that you are reincarnated. Some say you turn into a ghost, while some say you sleep for eternity. Maybe one of these will happen, or maybe none of them will._

_You won’t know until it happens._

_Or, at least, nearly does._

 

* * *

 

 **_Dark, darker, yet darker_ **.

She awoke to find herself not in a cozy bed, or even in the protection of a house. She awoke to find herself in what seemed simply like another world, one of complete darkness--pitch black in every direction, including down. As the numbness of sleep slowly faded from her limbs, she realized that there really wasn’t anything to feel. No dead grass below her, no oxygen around her, nothing to even see.

She tried to touch something, but nothing was there She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn’t work. She tried to go to sleep and wake up again, but it wouldn’t work.

She called for help, and didn’t expect anyone to hear…

 **But someone came**.

A large, black figure with a white face appeared in the distance. It felt oddly familiar, so she rushed towards it the best she could without any feeling underneath her little feet. He stood well taller than Papyrus, but didn’t have as much stability. He appeared to be a skeleton, after all, but… he looked fairly damaged with the two cracks that oozed from his eye sockets, one trailing over to the back of his skull and the other trickling down to the corner of his gently smiling mouth. She couldn’t find it in her to be scared, even though he was much taller than her and was unlike any skeleton she had seen before--alive or not.

He was actually a comforting presence in this dark void.

With disembodied hands, he knelt down before gesturing her closer and extended his hands in the universal sign for a hug. With little hesitation, she went forward into the embrace, desperate to feel something in this void, and found that he was actually satisfying to hug. She hadn’t hugged anyone in a long time anyways. He returned the hug in an oddly gentle way, speaking in a language that she couldn’t understand, and she felt comforted--secure.

When he pulled away, he seemed very excited to have a visitor. It made her wonder how long he had been here on his own. Nonetheless, they both took a seat on the pitch darkness of the void, each of them happy in their own ways to have company in the vast area. He knelt beside her, the best one could without knees, and after a moment, she just felt awfully sad, lowering herself into a lying position and putting her head into whatever kind of lap he had.

Letting out a long breath, she allowed her eyes to close and herself to drift off as his hands gently threaded through her fur, hearing him humming a familiar tune. Something older than all of her troubles. Something gentle.

 

* * *

 

**_Beep… Beep… Beep…_ **

Quickly drawing in a deep breath, the beeping overly annoying in her sensitive ears and speeding up as she pulled herself awake, feeling almost as if she was under the ocean water level in a storm. It was a painfully slow process and at first, all she could see was a strong light glaring directly into her eyes, but then her vision gradually adjusted. Lifting a paw to rub at her face, something suddenly snagged at her finger bringing her to look down, still foggy with sleep.

The pointer finger on her right paw had a clip of some sort attached to it, a thin wire running somewhere to her right, and some sort of IV was stuck under a bandaid--made of gauze and tape--in the elbow of her left arm. Looking down, she found her left paw wrapped in adhesive bandages that felt very awkward on her little arm, especially with her two missing fingers, and she honestly could only wonder how it happened. Now that she thought about it, plenty of herself felt oddly sore…

Then the door opened to her right, causing her to flinch a bit, and she only flinched more at the dropping of a clipboard. Whoever came in decided to go right back out, yelling down the hall that she was awake.

How long had she been asleep…? Something kept nagging at her in the back of her mind. She was forgetting something, but she honestly didn’t know what.

“Oh, Fate!”

With the familiar call, someone rushed to the bedside, nearly tripping over their feet. Blinking for a moment, she could finally see properly and found Toriel leaning over the bed with tears streaming down her face, her big paws grabbing at Fate’s little good one. The young girl didn’t even really know why.

“Are you feeling alright? **Are** you alright? You scared us so much, we thought…” Toriel inhaled a deep breath, closing her eyes and simply leaning over to give the injured child a hug. Although she tensed a bit, Fate found herself awkwardly returning the hug, still utterly confused over what had happened. Toriel sounded like she hadn’t slept in days…

And when Toriel pulled away, Fate tried to sit up only to feel a burning sensation in the right side of her abdomen, making her wince as she let her head fall right back down into the pillow below. She didn’t like this room, she didn’t like the anxiety…

“... H-How long was I sleeping…?” She finally managed to get out, staring up at the bright white ceiling like there was supposed to be something there. There wasn’t.

“Nearly four days.” Toriel responded almost bluntly, which was a wonder for her. She always had such passion and it actually… kind of scared Fate. “... Do you not remember what happened…?”

Fate decided to try and remember, which brought her to try a dig very deep. In a couple of moments, she found herself running a couple of fingers down her right side to find stitches, although Toriel gently grabbed her paw and pulled it away. Then, something suddenly clicked into place.

“... Is everyone okay…?” Fate asked softly, her heartbeat spiking and causing the beeping to get louder, but Toriel only reached out, ruffling the fur on her head gently to try and calm her down. It was a Motherly touch.

“Yes, everyone is fine…” Toriel promised her, although it sounded like a bit of a lie. When Fate stared at her, wanting the truth, she could tell that the Motherly figure seemed like she was about to break down. “... One teacher and one student were killed. You were in critical condition, but now that you’re awake, you’ll be okay.”

Fate wanted to question it, but decided not to. She was trying to keep her thoughts together because her mind was threatening to doze off again, but she didn’t want it to. Instead, Toriel explained slowly and softly, taking a seat on a chair that Fate hadn’t even noticed was there.

“Rovia was the one who shot the man who decided that it was a good idea to do what he did. You were very brave, protecting your classmates, but I just wish the bullet had missed…” Toriel trailed off for a moment, wrapping her paws around Fate’s right one. Physical contact felt weird all over again… “It was just a little bullet, a bit of surgery. It will scar, but you’ll be alright. You sprained your arm, but that’s about it.”

A moment passed, and then Fate couldn’t help but ask.

“... Morton Rolle?” She questioned, remembering the voice. After a second of silence, Toriel gave a small nod.

Morton Rolle, from the Abaddon. Fate had forgotten that between the end of May and the beginning of September, those from the Abaddon were free to wander. A feeling of impending doom creeped up her spine and she sucked in a breath, her heartbeat shooting up further and the beeping now being accompanied by a red, blinking light. Her paws found their way to her face, attempting to rake through her fur despite the obstacles in their way. Toriel, after her eyes darted to the heart monitor and back to the young girl, looked quite panicked as she gently grabbed Fate’s little paws, pulling them away and trying to divert her attention away from her distress.

“Sweetheart, take deep breath. Deep breath in… deep breath out…” Toriel advised, watching as the young girl did as she was told. A nurse came to the door, unsure if it was really an emergency or not, and stood there just in case while the scene played out. “You’re alright. You’ve got all of your eight fingers, all of your toes.”

Making sure all of herself was there, the heart monitor went back to its steady beeping, and Fate couldn’t help but notice the growing pain in her side.

“... My side hurts…” Fate mumbled softly, listening as Toriel softly told her something before getting up and making small talk with the nurse. Something about painkillers.

Fate couldn’t really focus. She just felt… so weird and off.

Where had she been before waking up here…?

 

* * *

 

11:55 P.M., June 4th, 20ZS 

With several bottles of pills and many instructions, Fate was finally allowed to go home and resume her normal life. Although, she knew that Toriel was lying to her when she was told that everything would just go back to being the same because what had happened wouldn’t just disappear. She didn’t talk much, feeling a little bad as she sunk into herself again--natural for her after being hurt--even though they all tried very hard to try and help her not to.

When arriving back in her shared room with her siblings, she greeted Flowey with a hug to his pot and a kiss to one of his petals, smiling a bit as he squealed--snarling and spitting and acting as if he had been infected with some ugly disease. She knew that he cared. He just didn’t show it.

She was getting a little exasperated at Frisk and Chara constantly trying to help her with natural things like changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth. They were lucky that she couldn’t even reach the back of her head yet, so Frisk got to brush her fur every night and day when Toriel said it was necessary to do so.

 _Stop worrying so much._ She had told them when they both winced at her kneeling down to grab her pajamas from one of her bins at the bottom of the closet. _I’m not just a broken piece of glass that’s gonna shatter even more._

They even tried to help her get into bed, which resulted in some swatting and whining before they finally left her alone to get into bed. Chara turned out the light, as per usual, and then the Dreemurr siblings each drifted off to sleep…

Except this time around, Fate couldn’t help but lie awake. She was strewn awkwardly in a mess of one sheet and one comforter, feeling gross. She felt like screaming and crying and throwing up all at the same time, which had never felt anything but awful. She didn’t even have to look at her own stats to know that she wasn’t doing all too good, but the worst part of it was that she felt like it should be worse. It should be awful and unfixable.

And after thinking that, she made a run to the bathroom, throwing up the dinner she had barely eaten about four hours ago. Most of it was just pie and herbal tea because she couldn’t get anything else down without feeling nauseous. Thinking about it made her throw up again, barely having anything to do so, but it still happened.

She didn’t leave the bathroom until three in the morning, in which she went back to her shared room and just collapsed onto her bed with a wince, passing out almost immediately.

 

* * *

 

7:10 A.M., June 5th, 20ZS 

When Fate woke up to find Frisk and Chara gone, most likely downstairs from the chatter she heard, she sat up and opened her eyes only for two hands to overlap them, causing her to smile oddly at the recognition of skeletal palms with holes in them.

 _That doesn’t work!_ She told him, not being able to help the small giggle that escaped her lips.

His hands pulled away and she turned around to greet him kindly, sitting criss-cross on her bed that was suddenly being shared by two. Sitting there was the spooky, oddly comforting skeleton from the dark void she had been thrust into only days ago, and he tilted his head while glancing at Chara and Frisk’s shared alarm clock. She supposed it was hers as well now, but that was besides the point.

 _School for us kids. Not for me because I’m not allowed yet, but for Chara and Frisk. I suppose I’m still on a bit of a internal schedule._ She explained, causing him to nod in understanding. _What are you doing here? Wait, wait, wait-- I don’t even know your name._

The realization had made Fate giggle a bit, feeling stupid for not having asked that first, but he only smiled softly back. He said something that she didn’t understand, and when she made a confused face, he said it again in a language she could understand: Sign.

 _My name is G-A-S-T-E-R. Gaster._ He introduced quite happily, making her smile a bit. She didn’t even get to introduce herself before he continued speaking. _Your name is Fate. I’m here because the void gets lonely._

She could understand loneliness in any language, and it made her smile up at him more, welcoming him.

_It’s nice to meet you, Gaster._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grandpa Skeleton appears!!


	24. Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel is suspicious of some behaviors.  
> Fate returns to school and nearly has an existential crisis.  
> Who likes Grillby's?  
> Stress baking. Yah, that's it. Stress baking.  
> Also, Gaster and science. The universe is pretty much just falling apart at this point lmao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School kicks my ass, and there's this cold going around that I just luckily caught, so there's that.
> 
> But!! I'm still doing my best to write! I intend for certain things soon, that's why so much random shit is coming up. Either way, enjoy!

6:30 A.M., June 10th, 20ZS

Toriel had never witnessed a child so excited to go to school.

In a long-sleeved, dark beige-yellow shirt, a dark brown overall dress that went down to the knees--adorning two pockets in the skirt and metal buttons in a line down the middle that clipped it on--a pair of black stockings, and a little pair of cyan high-tops that had neon red laces sat Fate, kicking her legs and happily eating cereal.

It had nearly been a week or so since she woke up in the hospital and about half of that time had been spent around the house. Toriel didn’t miss the odd times where Fate would seemingly stare at nothing and smile or even giggle as if someone was there, and it worried her, but she decided to let it play out for a bit. Fate was an odd little girl no matter what happened, so if it really became a concern, than Toriel would just simply have to call Dr. Tukker.

“... Fate, are you sure that’s all you want?” Toriel couldn’t help but ask as the young girl finished drinking the leftover milk in her bowl. She paused before giving a nod and then getting up, sitting in the living room to watch morning cartoons and wait for her siblings to wake up.

And to, once again, stare at nothing and laugh.

Letting out a sigh, Toriel tried to ignore it, grabbing the young girl’s empty cereal bowl and taking it to the sink so she could wash it. She really didn’t want things to be different because of what happened…

But it was inevitable.

 

* * *

After the odd experience of going through the school’s front doors, only to be stopped and checked over by police officers that Fate didn’t know, and passing by a memorial in the hall for Mrs. Sarah McLaughlin, a Gym teacher, alongside a student named Lesley Webb, she sat at her desk that felt a little unusual now, remaining quiet as she thought. Those police officers were there to make sure nothing like what happened on May 30th ever happened again, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, especially because of that memorial.

After all, it had been her fault that the Abaddon decided to send someone into a school with a  **gun** . They really were merciless. They just continued to prove it.

With all the odd looks from half of her classmates, with smiles and simple greetings to welcome her back from the other half of them, Fate just felt off. Nothing remained the same, as she had expected, but she just… still couldn’t wrap her head around it properly.

The morning announcements came on as per usual, at least. On June 21st, the last day of school, the annual bake sale was being held, and Fate had heard many fun tales of it from Chara, but couldn’t help not being very interested… instead, she found herself interested in the graduation announcements because graduation meant some kids would be leaving for secondary school. It was something of a higher level in education, or whatever. She was happy to see Lucas and Ashley go, but Janiyah and Adar would be leaving. Now that she thought about it, so was Akina. She was sure that she’d still see them with their ties to her, but it was still a little troubling to think about.

Eventually, she just sat there and stared at the board while Ms. Cotler taught, just like how it was every day before May 30th. She then stared out the window, wondering why everyone was acting as if nothing had happened. Maybe it was just one of those things that they wanted to push into the back of their minds and not bother with, but that never worked out long, did it?

The answer was no. It didn’t work out very long at all. Everyone was staring at her. It was pretty hard not to stare at someone who had been shot and sprained their wrist just by falling on it, although the only proof that now remained was dried blood that stained the floor in the supply closet, stitches unseen to them, and the adhesive bandages she wasn’t allowed to remove just yet. She had really strained it. People were assholes, even to their own races and species…

It was tedious to try and not have a conversation with anyone at lunch, and not to be touched. Everyone just  **had** to give her a hug and welcome her back, and ask how she was doing, and so on… Don’t get her wrong, she loved having friends and having people concerned for her health, but having them constantly ask if she was okay or needed help just… got a little annoying. She could barely eat her lunch, still not having much of an appetite, and it just made things worse because they got even more concerned when she just didn’t really feel like eating. She needed to slowly work her way back into her usual consumption of food or she would just continue to throw up and not get better.

Half of her lunch was spent in the deserted hallway where the memorial was set up, speaking with Gaster who had been following her everywhere recently. She really didn’t mind because that meant she’d never have to be alone if she didn’t want to, which felt pretty nice.

Everything was just… normal, in one way or another. It felt weird. Off.

It scared her.

 

* * *

6:30 P.M., June 10th, 20ZS

Fate wasn’t one to go out for dinner, but since Chara and Frisk had made a mess of the kitchen trying to make something, Toriel decided that it would be best to go out to eat. While Fate didn’t really mind, she minded a bit that Frisk had convinced Toriel to call up some of their good friends, and some of them happened to be people who she didn’t know, which meant that tonight would just be full of anxiety…

At some restaurant called “Grillby’s”. It was bustling with people, both humans and monsters alike, and Fate clung to Flowey’s pot like it was a lifeline. He kind of was, as she refused to talk to anyone that had been invited even though they were good friends of the Dreemurr’s. She found herself at the third table the group was taking up, right at the end, seated between Sans and Frisk with Chara across from them. She didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the group besides listening as names flew around and one of them yelled really loud every single time she spoke.

Grillby’s was quite cozy, though, and sitting with Sans and her siblings meant she could just eat fries and get away with it. Although, Frisk did introduce her to something called a “chocolate milkshake”, which she couldn’t get enough off despite it having so much sugar.

After that, it didn’t feel much like a night out with the family, whatever that even was. It was like how it usually was--her being the odd one out. She supposed it was a good thing because at least no one was annoyingly questioning if she was okay. This seemed to be more of an interactive place anyways, not her kind of thing. Even making eye contact with someone from across the room wasn’t her thing. She pretty much just ended up sharing some fries with Flowey and sat around while everyone else chatted amongst themselves.

She didn’t find it **too** bad...

 

* * *

4:30 P.M., June 11th, 20ZS

Many people baked out of necessity, or for the joy of discovery, or as a means of artistic expression. Fate did none of those. When she baked, she tended to do so as a means of relieving stress. Baking wasn’t easy, but that was kind of the whole point. It is precise, physical discipline that requires concentration on the task at hand, which has the added benefit of crowding out the swirling storm of thoughts that were in her head

Right now, she was simply helping Toriel with test baking a bunch of things in order to decide what to bring to the bake sale, and usually the baking only happened with Toriel around anyways. She didn’t want anyone burning themselves, so she at least supervised, but most of the time, Fate wasn’t confident to bake on her own, so she did so with the goat Mother.

She scooped up another spoonful of cinnamon-flavored mixture and tapped said spoonful onto the baking sheet next to the bowl before noticing a shadow glancing over her shoulder. She smiled at Gaster as he stared in the bowl containing the snickerdoodle dough, looking ready to scoop some up and give it a taste-test, but looked to her first. She shook her head, giggling a little bit at his attempted pout, and tapped the spoon on the counter so Toriel would know the put the cookies in the oven. The moment she put the sheet in the oven, Fate twisted the timer to twelve minutes, staring at it as she put it down.

The ticking helped her zone out without any bad thoughts. The mixed smells of chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch cinnamon pie, and lemon meringue pie helped keep her calm as well. So far, Toriel’s usual pie was winning out alongside the chocolate chip cookies, but the baking snickerdoodles smelt really good, too…

Right after the snickerdoodles came out, the first batch of cupcakes went in alongside the different parts of Fate’s favorite cake to bake. After the reactions from her class and the staff, according to Ms. Cotler, she wanted to make it for the bake sale, but to her, that meant she needed to practise making it look much better. She was messy with the icing and decorations, including the placements of the strawberries, so she wanted to practise that.

Which also meant a bunch of icing for the cupcakes with barely any help from Toriel, but a lot of feedback.

It was actually quite nice when her siblings got one each and tried going for another, but Toriel said no. And then Chara stole a couple for them and Frisk anyways, making Fate giggle. When Toriel left the kitchen for a moment, Gaster was allowed to try a snickerdoodle and told her that they were very good, making her SOUL swell with pride.

Although a relief for her stress, baking was very fun, and so was hanging out with Gaster, when he wasn’t constantly talking about science and the wonders of the universe.

The only wonder of the universe she found interesting were stars. Just little balls of gas that floated around without needing oxygen, but wasn’t oxygen a gas or something?

She sucked at science, so there was no point in thinking about it any further than that…

 

* * *

_ 8:45 P.M., June 11th, 20ZS _

_ Space is a wondrous reality. With each beat of our dissipating hearts, passages to untouched places are paved. We’re not bound by this world nor are we bound by fear. Nothing binds us to anything but the very idea of things being linear. The skeptic conception of things. _

_ Earth feels like a sandbox full of fire trucks and rubber ducks. Here is where we operate as we do and expand as we are, but out there, in the vastness of the dark region of infinite potential, we could succeed beyond the bounds of any boundary. _

_ The universe beyond the interface, the barrier that limited humanity to one time and place, was like DNA. It was a spiral that stretched onwards until it coiled about on itself, like some fractal pattern on steroids. Should this spiral spin fast, it would appear as a simple disc, or a ball perhaps--one ever expanding. Yet as the circle shape expanded some would float into space as a loose string, like the string of a balloon, ready to be cast off. The strings were released to prevent devolution within the ring, not simply of matter, but of spirit also. As we watched it grow, watched it case off what was no longer required, we knew we were looking at a living universe, on that self regulated to only keep in what was good for the whole. _

_ Perhaps the double strands were parallel universes, never intended to mix, yet they belonged together-- _ **_needed one another_ ** _. All we had seen for millennia was like a cross section of a candy cane. _

_ But now there’s something much more interesting in the works. You have to be willing to see it. You have to have an open mind and free sight, thoughts full of imagination, or it will pass by before you even realise that it was there in the first place. _

_ The right doors will only open to the right people, after all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like how no one is guessing about whoever's writing these journal entries.. I've already said it's not Fate because it's not.
> 
> Damn. I'm excited and exhausted at the same time. The summer is gonna be full of great shit.
> 
> Starting next chapter, most likely... or the chapter after... it depends....


	25. Since When Was The Bake Sale NOT A Disaster?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bake Sale.
> 
> Need I say more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW THIS WAS A DOZEY. I WROTE HALF OF THIS AT SCHOOL LMAO
> 
> Enjoy some foreshadowing, huh?

9:45 A.M., June 21st, 20ZS

Fate adjusted the skirt of her overall dress before kneeling down, grabbing both sides of the cardboard box, and lifting it up with a slight grunt. It was the lightest one, but she could still feel the weight pulling on the stitches holding her side together.

Nonetheless, she followed behind Toriel--who was carrying two boxes like some sort of super-Mom, which she was in Fate’s opinion--and set the box down beside the stand that had been set up not even an hour before.

“That’s all, my child.” Toriel assured her with a sweet smile, feeling bad about having Fate carry the box although the young girl had  **insisted** that she should help out. “Why not go and search for your siblings and friends?”

Fate took that as a cue to leave, rushing across the gym floor to go and find her group of friends alongside two siblings. A lot of people were showing up already and she wondered if she might actually end up outside on the swings, where things were going to be much less…  **loud** . It was a good back-up plan if anything happened, such as being forced to eat one of Linda’s lemon squares or drink a cup of Diana’s disgusting “homemade lemonade”. If it was homemade, her home was made of crap.

She was excited to see everyone, though. Dacian had already informed her that since the bake sale was a public thing, many of the police from the station were going to stop in, including him and Brian, although they were going to come and stick around. The whole group seemed to be okay with that idea, but Dacian said that only half of them had gotten back to him with a positive response when they last hung out at the river.

Eventually, she found her group of friends plus two siblings and a sentient flower, who she immediately grabbed and held on to. Jasmine was currently trying to convince Adar to wear a crown since she’d be leaving them for secondary school, but she wouldn’t dare to, and the ways she kept avoiding her younger sister made the group laugh.

And from behind her, Gaster was getting a kick out of the friendly scene as well.

Everything was okay.

 

* * *

 

The bake sale had started, and by half an hour in, the jar of money under the stand was quarter-way full. Most of her friends were selling their own things or would just come and stop by to greet her before running off again, but that was okay. She was having a good time, standing on a chair behind the stand and happily handing out slices of pie or cake--or even both--to anyone who handed over a couple of dollars. She would stuff her pockets full, and then when they wouldn’t fit anymore or she simply had the chance, all the money would go into the jar.

She was only in control of the stand because Toriel had important staff member stuff to do, and she was glad that it was fun. While there were tons of people, most of them greeted her with a smile and there was enough room behind the stand for her to feel solitary and okay despite the crowd around her. She swayed gently to the current pop music playing through the loud speakers, gripping at her noise-cancelling headphones that rested around her neck just in case things got too overwhelming.

The crowd was chatting and laughing and all-around just having a good time…

“Hey there, kiddo!”

And approaching her stand was none other than Marcel and Craig, with a curious looking Tyler trailing behind them.of course, she’d never tell anyone that she could see Tyler, just like she would never tell anyone that she could see Gaster. Speaking of, she wondered where the old skeleton went off to…

_ Hello! _ She responded quickly with a bright smile, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet.

“Are you having fun?” Marcel asked with an equally bright smile, while Craig simply seemed to be anxiously watching the crowd. Fate gave a small nod.

_ My jar is filling up, so Mrs. Toriel and I are doing really good, I think! _ She replied happily, watching as Marcel’s face lit up curiously.

“Whoa, I’ve heard about Mrs. Dreemurr’s pies before!” Marcel laughed a bit, grabbing a toonie from his pocket. Spare change, the God of the poor… “Mind if a grab a slice?”

Fate shook her head, enthusiastically taking the toonie as Marcel grabbed a slice of butterscotch cinnamon pie, his face brightening up from the soft mixture of odd flavors. He gave Craig a look, which brought Craig to cringe a bit for some reason, and then the man with aquaish-teal dyed hair passed over a five dollar bill, taking two slices of her cake. One was passed to Marcel, who had scarfed down the slice of pie, and one was carefully taste-tested by Craig before being inhaled passionately.

Fate laughed a bit, happy that her baking could bring a different kind of look to Craig Khourey, who was usually very serious a deadly-looking.

But that happiness was interrupted by someone she just happened to spot in the crowd.

Tugging on Craig’s sleeve and snapping her fingers, she pointed across the gym floor to someone in all black--a black hoodie, black jeans, black shoes, even black gloves. It wouldn’t have been suspicious if she didn’t recognize the steel-blue hair that sported messy bangs that covered the right side of the suspect’s face, reaching about an inch or two past his chin, and the bright aqua-colored eyes.

Marcel left Craig behind in the dust of his mad dash, trying to pick up a friendly conversation with the young adult who Fate had pointed out. Craig made a movement to go a follow, but Fate latched onto his sleeve, trying to tell him not to go against Marcel’s physical orders.

And all in a moment, there was shrieking and many people lunged at each other.

**An encounter was triggered.**

 

* * *

Marcel Finnian-Constendell, Craig Khourey, the Dreemurr children, the Pickering children, the Rose children, Danny Cameron, Isabella Pierce, the two younger Binchdt children, the two Blake children, and Joshua Morris had been pulled into the encounter, finding themselves faced against one young adult man who had a simple name:  **Lyn** .

The bullet board was full of different hearts: two yellow hearts, two blue hearts, two red hearts, three purple hearts, three cyan hearts, two green hearts, three orange hearts, one white heart with orange cracks, and one white heart with green and purple cracks. Both white hearts were upside down and one of the purple hearts were kept away from the rest of them.

And then there was one very confused, and slightly upset, sentient flower that had been dragged along. Flowey couldn’t just sit aside while an encounter went on, after all, especially not with all three of the Dreemurr children caught up in it.

“Okay, so here’s what’s happening.” Flowey started right away, snapping out of his confusion in hopes that he could explain enough for everyone who looked confused. Mostly the kids, although Chara and Frisk were very friendly with the terms already. “This is an  **encounter** . Those hearts in that white box are your SOULs; your SOUL is the very culmination of your being.”

“What the  **Hell** ?” Akina questioned, glaring around at literally everyone. This wasn’t supposed to happen…

“Each color provides a certain trait.” Flowey continued to explain. “Red is  **DETERMINATION** , Orange is  **Bravery** , Yellow is  **Justice** , Green is  **Kindness** , Blue is  **Integrity** , Cyan is  **Patience** , and White is the SOUL of a monster.”

“Whose is whose!?” Chandler asked, looking over all of the hearts curiously and in fear. How the Hell did all of them keep getting caught up in all of this dangerous crap? Flowey cleared his throat, and then started the long list.

“Marcel and Isabella are  **Justice** .   
Craig and Danny are  **Integrity** .   
Chara and Frisk are  **DETERMINATION** .   
Adar is the white one with the orange cracks.   
Aiden and Leo are  **Kindness** .   
Jasmine and Chandler are  **Perseverance** alongside our mystery attacker.   
Lena, Maggie, and Namine are  **Patience** .   
Melina, Joshua, and Akina are  **Bravery** .   
And Fate’s SOUL is that tiny white one with the green and purple cracks.”

There was the tiniest bit of clapping for the sentient flower, but most of them were simply staring at their SOULs and at others due to the colors of their SOULs.

“Everyone, please check your stats.” Flowey advised, watching as everyone went one by one. This was curious thing for many of them, he could tell.

“What is this, a video game?” Adar questioned, sounding angry and curious at the same time. Many of them could only shrug, checking their stats one at a time, and everyone read them.

Marcel   
LV: 3   
HP: 28/28   
AT: 15   
DF: 12

He has a curious sense of self. His judgement is normally never wrong, whether Tyler butches it or not.

“Your health is crap.” Craig stated, almost in a teasing way that was out of character for him.

Craig   
LV: 10   
HP: 60/60   
AT: 30   
DF: 10

There’s something off about him, but he does everything with a magnificent sense for the truth.

Chara and Frisk were skipped because their stats were already pretty well-known. Adar went next.

Adar   
HP: 15/15   
AT: 10   
DF: 10

She’s not afraid to stand up for anyone, no matter who. She is not to be tested.

“Damn right…” Adar muttered under her breath before Jasmine went next.

Jasmine   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 10   
DF: 12

A creative young girl who won’t stop until her goal has been achieved.

Lena followed behind her siblings examples.

Lena   
LV: 1   
HP: 25/25   
AT: 12   
DF: 10

She doesn’t mind what happens to her, as long as whoever she cares about turns out okay.

Leo followed Lena’s example with a very shaky stature, looking ready to have a panic attack.

Leo   
LV: 1   
HP: 18/18   
AT: 8.5   
DF: 15

He worries about everyone’s well-being, no matter how rude they are to him.

Chandler marveled at everyone’s stats, ecstatic to check his own despite his worry of them being low. He was oddly surprised at the sight in front of her.

Chandler   
LV: 1   
HP: 22/22   
AT: 10   
DF: 11

He’s not sure what to believe and what not to believe, but he knows that he’ll end up where he’s supposed to.

Maggie was excited to see hers.

Maggie   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 13   
DF: 12

She’ll stay by her brother’s side until he’s confident enough in himself.

Danny was scared to check his stats, taking his time reading everyone else’s before doing so with two very shaky hands and a slightly clouded mind.

Danny   
LV: 1   
HP: 15/15   
AT: 10   
DF: 8

He’s too depressed for nearly everything except defending his friends and family.

“... Shit, it’s right.” Danny admitted simply with a shrug, his shaking going down slightly after being slapped with the truth.

“Dude, same…” Isabella muttered before checking her stats next.

Isabella   
LV: 1   
HP: 25/25   
AT: 8   
DF: 10

She’s a very understand young girl with a strong sense of right and wrong.

Aiden checked his stats next, more worried about what his Mom was doing and what she would say after this-- **if** there was an after!

Aiden   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 10   
DF: 15

He constantly wonders if he was summoned from black magic because it’s a wonder how his Mother was born, but he would never say that out loud.

Melina let out a laugh, as did many others, and then checked her stats.

Melina   
LV: 1   
AT: 15   
DF: 15

This  **brave** young girl knows how to stand up for people, even against the likes of her Mother.

Akina quickly followed.

Akina   
LV: 1   
AT: 12   
DF: 16

It won’t be over until this tween sister gives a nasty punch.

Namine didn’t know what to do, but followed in her older sister’s actions because it seemed right.

Namine   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 5   
DF: 5

He won’t give up on believing that everyone can be a good person if they just try.

Something clicked in Namine’s mind. Perhaps a recognition, or some sort of realization, but her--well, their-- confidence rose quickly. They needed a haircut…

Joshua followed behind Namine, cringing at what might come up.

Joshua   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 5.5   
DF: 10

With quick thoughts and even quicker actions, she refuses to back down, no matter what the challenge.

On second thought, he--well, they \--didn’t mind at all. Sharing a glance with Namine, they both smiled at each other with pride, linking hands. A long overdue conversation needed to happen later… if there was going to be a later.

Hesitantly, Fate followed behind the others and checked her stats.

Fate   
HP: 10/10   
AT: 7   
DF: 12

This young girl has seen it all, but doesn’t know it all. The truth sometimes scares her.

Well, if that wasn’t true, Fate didn’t know what was…

“And now, you all fight.”

At Flowey’s words, everyone tensed up before deciding to go in an orderly fashion, starting with Marcel.

Marcel > ACT > Check > Lyn

Lyn   
LV: 5   
HP: 36/36   
AT: 5   
DF: 20

A hooded figure and a threat towards the children. It’s unsure to you whether or not to use  **MERCY** …

Lyn raised a hand and chose and option, oddly following their little line of organized chaos.

Lyn > FIGHT > Craig

Craig avoided the attack before choosing his own options.

Craig > Interrogate > Lyn

“Who the Hell are you?” Craig questioned, although he gained no response. “Let’s try that again--what the  **Hell** do you think you’re  **doing** ? These kids are innocent, along with many of the other people here!” Again, there was no response.

Chara > FIGHT > Lyn

The attack was avoided, causing Chara to growl under their breath.

Frisk > ACT > Talk > Chara

_ We can resolve this peacefully. _ Frisk tried to tell their sibling, who only seemed to calm down a little bit. They were secretly freaking out, too. Each and every one of them wondered what would happen next, and what this would come down to.

Adar > FIGHT > Lyn

The attack was somehow avoided despite the intense fire.

Jasmine > ACT > Comfort > Adar

Jasmine wrapped her arms around one of Adar’s, holding her older sibling back from stepping out of line. That would screw everything up, and then they might all end up in more trouble than they already were.

Lena > MERCY > Spare > Leo

“Get out of here, Leo.” Lena advised for her twin brother, who paused anxiously before giving her a frantic nod.

Leo > Accept

Leo disappeared from the never-ending darkness.

Chandler > MERCY > Spare > Lena

“Go join him.” Chandler offered, in which Lena immediately nodded.

Lena > Accept

Lena disappeared from the never-ending darkness as well. Everyone could only hope that they were alright.

Maggie > ACT > Comfort > Chandler

Maggie grabbed onto her older brother’s shaking hands, holding them tightly and letting him hold her close for comfort. This was overwhelming for her, so she could only imagine what it was like for him.

Danny > ACT > Reason > Lyn

“U-Um… S-Sir… I-I know you don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but this… this isn’t okay. None of us have done anything wrong, and I have a very anxiety-prone little sister out there who is probably sobbing because I’m not with her and our Mom couldn’t be here… Please, let us go, and maybe we can talk something out?”

Lyn stood there, not saying anything.

Isabella > ACT > Agree

“Danny has the right idea. We haven’t done anything! We can work this out in a nonviolent way if you would just let us.”

Again, Lyn said nothing. He didn’t even move. Isabella felt a little upset.

Aiden > MERCY > Melina

“Melina, please go…” Aiden begged, but Melina shook her head.

Melina > Decline

“I’m here for you.” She promised him, grabbing onto one of his shaking hands with a confident look. In less than a second, Aiden felt his SOUL relax with his  **brave** sister by his side.

Akina > ACT > Insult > Lyn

“Your hair is  **stupid** !” She yelled, obviously just angry at the whole situation.

Namine > ACT > Scold > Akina

“Don’t…” Namine pleaded with their older sister, who merely took a deep breath and  **tried** to calm down for her sibling.

Joshua > ACT > Yell

Joshua let out a very loud yell, almost a scream, expecting something to happen.

But nobody came.

Fate > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

Everyone stared at the young girl in wonder, but she simply stared into the aqua-colored eyes of the young adult across from all of them.

“... Please…” She begged, fiddling her thumbs at an insane speed. “... I-I don’t want to fight… I don’t want anyone getting hurt…”

Lyn > Decline

Marcel > FIGHT > Lyn

The hit managed to connect. Lyn’s HP went from 36 to 21, causing everyone to gape. Marcel felt awful, but it was a necessary action that he had to take.

Craig > ACT > Threaten > Lyn

“We’re done playing nice! Give it up, or we’ll have to take more necessary actions!” Craig threatened with his best authoritative tone, but Lyn didn’t move a budge.

Lyn > FIGHT > Fate

The young girl inhaled a sharp gasp and just barely avoided the attack, letting out a heavy breath when she realized that she hadn’t taken any damaged.

Chara > ACT > Threaten > Lyn

“ **Hey**!” Chara yelled, gathering some attention. “That’s my little sister, you **asshole**! Only  I’m allowed to beat her up!”

Frisk > ACT > Comfort > Chandler

_ Are you alright? _ Frisk questioned, in which Chandler squeezed onto his little sister’s hands with a shake of his head. He really didn’t like violence…  _ It’ll be alright. _

Adar > MERCY > Spare > Chandler

“Get on out of here, dude!” Adar nearly scolded him, probably upset that he felt like he had to stay. Chandler paused, hesitating for a long moment, and then nodded with a look from Jasmine.

Chandler > Accept

Jasmine > MERCY > Spare > Maggie

Maggie > Accept

Chandler and Maggie disappeared from the void of the encounter, and left Danny to continue hesitantly. He didn’t know what to do...

Danny > ACT > Check > Adar

Adar   
LV: 1   
HP: 15/5   
AT: 10   
DF: 10

Someone who has slowly become your best friend. You’re glad they’re unharmed.

Isabella > MERCY > Spare > Joshua

“Go tell the others, maybe someone can come help.” She tried to reason, and Joshua paused before nodding in agreement. That was a good idea!

Joshua > Accept

Joshua faded from the void of the encounter. No one knew what was going on out there, and someone had to at least know what was happening in here.

Aiden > ACT > Cry

Aiden started sobbing. He didn’t necessarily mean to, but he just couldn’t help it. He didn’t like this.

Melina > MERCY > Spare > Aiden

“I’ll follow soon.” Melina promised, and Aiden felt so awful…

Aiden > Accept

Melina stood there without her brother, clearly terrified.

Akina > ACT > Intimidate

Akina started to crack her knuckles, and although it didn’t appear very effective, she felt much more ready to swing a punch. She also felt more confident that it would land and so some damage.

Namine > MERCY > Spare > Melina

“Go!” They yelled frantically more than ordering or offering.

Melina > Accept

Fate hesitated, staring at the options in front of her. What could she  **do** ?

Fate > Skip

Marcel > ACT > Question

“Is everyone still okay?” The young adult asked all of the children, gaining some unsure nods and trying-to-be-confident whimpers.

Craig > FIGHT > Lyn

The attack was avoided, much to Craig’s annoyance, and none of them really wanted to give Lyn a chance to fight anyone--but they were all fair to the rules.

Lyn > FIGHT > Fate

Fate didn’t know why it was her again. She was barely paying attention, feeling panicky from the whole thing, and the hit connected. Her HP went from its 10 down to an upsetting 5.

Chara > FIGHT > Lyn

The hit connected, but Lyn’s HP only went from 21 to 16. Chara yelled in frustration.

Frisk > ACT > Cry

Frisk started to cry before they even knew it, unsure of what to do. Chara was angry and Fate was hurt… this was all messed up. Why couldn’t they just be left alone!?

Adar > MERCY > Spare > Frisk

Frisk > Accept

Frisk faded from the void of the encounter after some slight hesitation. Adar had felt bad and honestly wanted to kick some ass--literally--but her friends came first. She could only wonder why no one was coming…

Jasmine > FIGHT > Lyn

The hit missed, much to Jasmine’s spite. She hated anyone who hurt her friends. She hated fighting, but maybe fighting was the right thing to do in this situation!

Danny > MERCY > Spare > Namine

He would rather take care of others before taking care of himself. This wasn’t some sort of event, after all. He might’ve not cared whether he lived or died in a desperate situation, but he wasn’t an idiot who didn’t know when things were getting bad.

Namine > Accept

Namine faded from the void of the encounter.

Isabella > MERCY > Spare > Akina

Akina > Accept

First and foremost, Akina’s top priority was Namine, but she would send in help if nothing resolved within the five minutes it would take to explain everything. That left it to be Fate’s turn.

Fate > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

“Please…” Fate tried again, her voice barely staying steady. She was barely being kept from tears. Lyn did not listen.

Lyn > Decline

Marcel > ACT > Reason > Lyn

“Stop!” Marcel yelled, causing everyone at once to go quiet. He got Lyn’s attention… at least, he hoped that he did. “... There’s no point in this. Just  **please** , leave the children out of this. We can talk. No one has to fight. One more hit to that poor little girl and you’ll  **kill her** .”

The realization made everyone breathe in sharply, all tensed and fearful for their lives--but more importantly, whether Lyn would attack Fate again or not. If she didn’t dodge, after all…

Craig > ACT > Reason > Lyn

“You need to  **stop** .” Craig continued, not used to feeling on the edge. It was a feeling that he definitely didn’t miss. “None of them have done anything wrong. You can still come back from this--Hell, I came back even with my stats.”

There was a long pause…

Lyn > FIGHT > Fate

Everyone screamed, all of them unsure whether to move or not. What could they do? There was pretty much nothing! This was on her little shoulders, and that--

Fate dodged. She put her paws over her ears for a moment, and then took a deep breath to steady herself.

Chara > ACT > Insult

“ **Fuck you, man** !” Chara yelled at the top of their lungs, quite obviously very angry. “You could’ve  **killed** her!”

Adar > ACT > Comfort > Fate

“Are you alright?” Adar questioned the young girl, who paused for a moment before nodding in response, keeping her eyes closed as she took deep breaths.

Jasmine > FIGHT > Lyn

The hit connected, and Lyn’s HP when from 16 down to a scary 6. Jasmine couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

Danny > ACT > Explain > Adar

“She’s trying to steady her stimulations from an anxiety attack.” Danny explained to Adar, who paused before nodding a bit, understanding. She was just really worried. Hell, they all were!

Isabella > ACT > Spit > Lyn

Isabella spat at Lyn. She didn’t usually spit, or share bodily fluids at all, but he deserved it. She could see him tense up a bit with anger.

Fate > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

For some reason, Fate wouldn’t fight back. Whether it was reluctance or purely her choice, Chara and Flowey couldn’t help but be reminded of Frisk. That kid wouldn’t fight unless they really didn’t have a choice…

Lyn > Decline

Marcel > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

“Just stop it already! There’s no point to keep going!” Marcel tried to tell him, getting a little frustrated.

Lyn > Decline

Craig > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

Marcel couldn’t remember the last time Craig had given anyone  **MERCY** in an encounter. He felt like he should be proud, but right now, he was just worried and frustrated. Tyler didn’t feel like he was there either, but he was always there…

“Listen. At this point, you’ll be killed by the flick of someone’s wrist. Admit your mistake and live to see the blue sky once more, or die knowing that you never did anything right in your final moments--something I could never live with if it happened to me.” Craig nearly pleaded, which just kept rolling in the surprises for Marcel. Since when was Craig so… ideal? “Stop this  **now** .”

A minute, which seemed like an eternity to all of them, passed by…

Lyn > Decline

Chara > ACT > Yell

“Oh,  **come on** !” They yelled, nearly screaming, clapping their hands a bit to add to their show of anger.

Adar > MERCY > Spare > Danny

“Amber is probably losing her shit, you should go. We’ll be okay.” Adar insisted, and with a moment of hesitation, Danny let out a soft sigh. Who knows how anxious Amber was…

“Be careful.”

Danny > Accept

Danny faded out of the void of the encounter, handing over his turn to Isabella.

Isabella > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

“Craig is right.” She told the attacker with a neutral-looking frown. “If these are really your last moments, would you be happy knowing that they were  **wrong** ? You’re attacking a group of kids!  **Innocent kids** !”

Lyn > Decline

Everyone groaned, just feeling exasperated at hispoint. With a deep breath, Fate’s mind was made up…

Fate > FIGHT > Lyn   
Lyn > HP: 0.5/36   
Fate > MP: 18/30

Everyone stared in shock, including Fate, even though she knew it was the best course of action. He couldn’t be reasoned with. She hated herself for thinking that he would ever accept her  **MERCY** .

Marcel > MERCY > Spare > Lyn

“Please… Don’t make us do this…” Marcel begged, sounding very upset, and everyone covered their eyes in hopes that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t real. “Either way, you lose. I know that sucks, but don’t have your blood stain the hands of another…”

Everyone stood in silence. One minute passed… Two minutes… Three minutes…

Lyn > Decline

No one looked.

Craig > FIGHT > Lyn

 

* * *

 

Everyone looked up in shock when the encounter had faded out and the remaining victims stood there, a couple falling to their knees in defeat. Marcel was covering a purple glow which he passed to Craig, who contained whatever it was in a glass container of some sort and shoved it under Marcel’s shirt. Said African-American young adult made a run for the doors--probably ready to head to the police station with the piece of evidence.

Craig merely stood there, lifting up his hands in a surrendering type of way.

“It’s all okay now.” He reassured the crowd.

The sighs of relief killed him inside. The lying did, too, but it was part of the job.

He fucking hated sympathy in so many ways…

Nonetheless, he only left when everyone started chatting and laughing amongst themselves like before, trying to forget what had happened, and when he knew that all of the children who had been caught up in the encounter were okay, and back with their families.

They definitely wouldn’t be the same after this, he was sure of that… but no one ever remained the same anyways. Maybe it was his turn for a fresh start… 

Ha, probably not after this incident. Rovia was going to kick his ass. At least most of them would live to see another day of blue skies…

The real question was… How much further was the Abaddon willing to go this summer? Just for one little girl? He really wondered… 

Maybe it was time for him to spend some individual time with Fate Dreemurr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Craig. He's a bit of a psychopath, but for good reasons, if that makes sense.
> 
> Love these kids, too. That's why they've come so close with death many times. Save the smalls, only if you dare.


	26. Is Summer Vacation Really A Vacation?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore and Fate spend some much needed time together.  
> Joshua and Namine have a very important chat at a park.  
> Kyle is a little shit... but for a reason?  
> We get a little more insight on Fate, and Asgore comes to.. well, a realization of sorts.  
> Also, our heroes at the police station, or more so at a lab, are working hard to solve a mysterious murder!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hI IT'S BEEN AWHILE
> 
> School is kicking my ass and family troubles, don't worry about it. I'm still alive and still working on this story. It's just slow.
> 
> Slow as fuck.

11:30 A.M., June 25th, 20ZS

Asgore had not realized it before, but now that he was paying attention, he noticed it on a quiet Sunday afternoon. He and Fate were the only ones in the house. Toriel was a substitute for a summer school class, and Sans had taken both Chara and Flowey as he did once every month. This time, Frisk had gone with them. So, due to the empty house, Asgore had felt it for the first time.

It was the quiet hum of Fate’s magic.

Funny. The ex-King of monsters had lived for many years, and in that time, he had met many monsters and human magicians alike. Yet, it was very hard for him to realize when Fate would appear. She was very quiet, and her magic was very well-hidden.

Or, perhaps, she didn’t know how to use it.

Either way, consider Asgore’s curiosity fancied.

Now that he thought about it, he and Fate didn’t spend much time together. They had much in common, such as a love for books and tea. He hadn’t made an effort to connect with her just yet, had he…?

“Fate.” Asgore addressed the young girl, who looked up from the pages of her book curiously. She was seated on the couch, so not too far from the dining room table. Asgore merely smiled at her. “How about a little trip to one of Ebott’s best places?”

 

* * *

The Ebott Centre of Knowledge was basically just the center of Ebott where all the cool buildings were built. Fate remembered the field trip to the Planetarium, and the other three buildings were connected into one huge building. It consisted of a Zoo, an Aquarium, and a Museum.

The tallest and smallest Dreemurr had quite the time learning about what happened in human history while the monsters were underground, going through an exhibit of different plants from around the world, and then the horrifying skeleton exhibit which Fate had actually found interesting. Asgore couldn’t think about the interesting part of it until the young girl had spoke to him for the first time personally.

“Without clothing, it’s easier to see the vertebrae.” Fate pointed out, her voice soft among the chattering of the crowd around them. “They’re tall, with proper and straight spinal columns. The ribs are nicely spread and there are good ratios of leg-to-torso. They most likely died peacefully.”

Asgore paused, letting the information sink in, then glanced down at the young girl.

“... Have you ever thought about becoming a forensic anthropologist?” He questioned her, but she simply gave him a look of confusion that he registered as her not knowing what he meant and shook his head carefully. “Nevermind, it’s alright.”

She didn’t get scared by the huge m-k-raptor skeleton, merely surprised, unlike Asgore. He had ducked in hopes that it wouldn’t come alive, and she had actually giggled at his reaction when she pressed a button that made the sculpture move ever so slightly.

Time passed like water through a sponge; a great deal of it was sucked up far more quickly than one might have expected. Eventually, they had returned home just before it was time for dinner, and still no one was there. Asgore decided to try and put together something while Fate went upstairs to get her pajamas on since they weren’t going anywhere that evening. After he had split what he had pretty much just threw together and popped in the microwave, he called up to the young girl.

A minute had passed, and there was no Fate.

He called up again.

Another minute passed, and Asgore made his way upstairs to check on her, only to find her in an especially baggy shirt, a pair of baggy sweatpants, and pair of dull-colored socks decorated with bright yellow stars. She was just lying on her bed, looking much smaller than she naturally was with her shoulders hunched up and her body curled into a ball--all tense and stiff. The feeling of her magic was too… outrageous at the moment for him to pinpoint that it was hers. It was lucky that he already knew the feeling of her magic, or he would’ve been thrown off guard.

Asgore merely sat at the bottom of the young girl’s bed, which had previously been Frisk’s, and tried to muffle the sounds of him sitting down on the bed sheets as much as possible. With her shaking and how she was curled up, it was obvious that she was already over-stimulated enough.

A moment passed, and then Asgore spoke up.

“... Has something upset you, dear child?” He questioned, watching her tense up more from flinching. “You don’t have to tell me, but I’d like to know it you are alright.”

Fate didn’t move for a while. Asgore didn’t know how long he was sitting there.

Eventually, Fate shifted over until she was able to give Asgore her best hug, which was really just her collapsing against him in a heap of sobs. Nonetheless, the ex-King of monsters waited in silence while the young girl made herself comfortable and secure, and then neither of them moved.

 

* * *

“They found the victim in the filtration system. Just, you know, some bones and nobody knows what to make of them.”

Craig snapped on a pair of blue rubber gloves with a slight cringe as he walked behind Taryn, who he hadn’t seen in months and barely talked to… well,  **ever** . Nonetheless, this was an important new case that he had been trusted to figure out by none other than Rovia, so he would do it whether it meant awkward conversing with Taryn Lahti or not.

“I mean, look at this.” Craig sighed, looking over all of the yellow handrails around them at the water sources. “Millions of tax dollars are spent to clean and treat tap water, and yet people spend billions on bottled water…” He paused for a moment, following silently behind Taryn. “Actually, they probably spend billions on bottled water because of these reasons. It  **is** a pretty good place to dump a body, with all the beginnings and endings of pipes and shit like that. You know, the water comes from pipelines that travel through five different states.”

They eventually came across the bones of the victim, which looked a couple of months old. Craig let out a sigh and kneeled down, starting to pick about as people walked by, many workers wondering when they would be able to get back to work again.

“Anything?” Taryn asked after a moment, keeping her distance from the disgusting sight. How Craig could touch that and not have a problem with it, she really didn’t want to know. Craig inhaled deeply, continuing on.

“The death was most likely less than three months ago.” Craig explained before pausing, and then looking up at Taryn with a disturbed, yet sympathetic expression. “The sacrum is small, still developing. It’s a kid.” He poked at the body for a moment longer. “It was a young girl, about eight or nine, or maybe ten years old.”

Taryn’s face scrunched up and she raised a hand to her mouth, leaning against the handrail behind her. She paused before giving a nod, motioning to Craig.

“Let’s wrap this up and get it back to the lab. The others can help you figure… your stuff out.” Taryn decided, in which Craig gave her a look that she remembered quite well before he started to carefully wrap up the remains with a tarp.

Back to the lab it was…

 

* * *

 

 

“Any luck with the cause of death?” Taryn asked as she walked up to the three surrounding the young girl’s bones that had made it there about an hour or so earlier. This lab was originally Craig’s and, according to Rovia, was now all his again. She didn’t want to agree with that, but she really had no choice, and he had whoever he wanted helping out.

So, naturally, that meant the people closest to him who understood that he had never actually done anything bad. He had just been raised awfully.

“Postmortem trauma makes assignation cause difficult.” Marcel responded, and she found him looking stupid in a lab suit with his hat still snuggly placed on his head. He knew what he was doing for someone who was eighteen slowly approaching nineteen though, and he was the closest with Craig.

“There are bands of discoloration on the ribs, which we’ll find out what those are with a tox screen.” Craig explained, his nimble fingers pulling at decayed skin. The thought of him just doing that made Taryn nearly gag.

“I’d like the clothes as soon as possible.” Abner told them softly, sweating a little bit from the state that the body was in. He was new to this, but kind to Craig and very smart. “There are a lot of crusty bugs and slime that I could… get some stuff from.”

“They are all yours.” Craig permitted, bringing a smile to Abner’s face as the younger male nodded frantically. The head of the lab then turned to Marcel. “Marcel, spend some time with the teeth. They should be more discolored, but are somehow… still mostly white. I want to know why, and I want to know soon.”

“Hey, I’m running D.N.A. on some hairs I pulled from the skull right now.” Elizabeth spoke up, coming up the stairs onto the platform and walking over to the small group. For some reason, she and Craig got along fairly well. “It’s a little funky. The roots confirm brown hair, but the blonde is from oxidized thiols evident in the hair shaft.”

“It was bleached.” Craig stated more than questioned, gaining a nod from Liz. What nine year old dyed her hair…? “Maybe she was a rich kid who got caught up in Daddy’s problems--or Mom’s.” Craig paused before turning to Marcel once more. “Look at the remains again with a focus, Marcel, on any physical anomalies that could hamper identification. We need to identify her before we do any wandering into the crime of what happened and… all that jazz.”

Craig walked away to go grab something and Taryn took her official leave, having other work to do. Liz went to go see the results for the D.N.A. from the hair, and Abner went after her with some scrapings that he had to test.

This was going to be a long investigation.

 

* * *

10:03 A.M., June 30th, 20ZS

Joshua walked over to the huge swing set in the West Ebott park, finding Namine on one of the right-hand swings. They took a seat on the swing beside their friend, gently kicking their feet to actually swing a bit.

“I’m not gonna pry or judge.” Joshua reassured their friend, who gave a nod of agreement in return. “... I can go first.”

There was a pause, and then Namine nodded, in which Joshua took a deep breath and gave a small nod in return. It was now or never…

“... I’m Trans.” She got out a little shakily, using one of her feet to stop the swing from swinging anymore. “I don’t know what name I want to use or who will even accept me for who I am, but I’m not a boy.”

There was another pause, and then her friend with a similar problem opened up.

“I’m Trans, too.” He shared with her, giving a sympathetic smile although he seemed close to bursting into tears. “I’m thinking… just “Ine”, maybe. All I know is that I want to cut my hair, but I don’t want to tell anyone except you just yet.”

Joshua gave her friend an understanding nod, gently putting her hand over Ine’s.

“... I can cut it for you.” She offered, making eye contact with her friend who looked a little unsure. “My Aunt is a hairdresser and I’ve grown up with her teachings.”

Another pause… and then Ine gave a hopeful smile.

“I would like that.” He agreed with her, in which she gave a bright smile and got onto her feet.

“My parents won’t be home until late and my brother is doing summer school. I can give you some of my clothes, too!” She offered, watching as Ine got onto his feet with a similar bright smile.

“That sounds great! I’ll bring some of my clothes here next week?” He questioned, holding out his hand for a shake. Joshua merely gave him a tight hug.

“Sounds  **awesome** !” She agreed with a light laugh, pulling away before it could get uncomfortable.

And then the two took off to the Morris household.

 

* * *

“So, the scrapings that I took from her cheek and eye socket contain propylene glycol, fragrance, dyes and lanolin.” Abner explained, causing Liz’s expression to contort into one of confusion. “She was wearing makeup… for one reason or another.”

“I was going to use dentition to narrow down the age results!” Craig yelled, suddenly rushing in and over to their metal table of tests with Marcel following right behind him. They both looked a little frantic, probably just from their running. “But, look!”

Craig suddenly popped out a tooth easily with a pair of pliers, causing Liz’s expression to scrunch up more.

“Fake teeth.” Marcel stated after catching his breath. Had they ran across the whole lab?

“What the  **Hell** happened to this kid?” Liz questioned with a slight groan of disgust.

“ **I’ve identified her** !”

Cathy’s sudden appearance and yell caused all of them to scream and jump, in which she gave them an apologetic look before handing over the files she had put together. She had grown up wanting to be a forensic artist, and now she had the chance--which just happened to be lucky for them because that made identifying this young girl a lot easier.

“Brittany McVaugh.” Craig read out from the first piece of paper, his eyes squinting a bit from behind his glasses at the young girl’s appearance. What was she, the next Queen of England? Then it hit him as he gaped at the paper. “Oh, my God. She’s a little beauty queen who disappeared in the middle of the “ **Miss Junior Soldier Pageant** ”, like, six months ago.”

“Just nine years old.” Cathy added on, snatching the files back from him and shoving them in her bag. “I have to go report to Rovia. All of you have to keep working on cause of death and all that!”

With that, Cathy rushed out of the room and all of them were left with their test work, wondering where to go from there.

* * *

“There’s bleeding evident under the mental foramen.” Marcel started, feeling slightly under pressure by all the eyes on him as he spoke up. He had  **just** realized this, so he felt a little stupid anyways, but with everyone watching him and listening, he felt immensely… just… out of place. “There was complete disruption of all ventral ligaments between the victim’s skull and the first and second vertebrae.”

Everyone stared at him, registering what he had said, and then Craig spoke up.

“Her neck was broken?” He questioned, staring down at the bones, and Marcel hummed positively in response.

“Yes, and the dislocated fracture of the mandible suggests that her death was caused by a strong blow to the chin, by an object heavy enough to leave markings on her mental foramen.” Marcel explained, causing everything to lean back from their work and give him a smile. He could only smile back, feeling quite proud of himself for figuring that out.

Abner came up the steps onot the platform, approaching all of them with his own smile. It seemed that the rookies were exceeding today…

“I found fragments of steel in the victim’s jacket!” He told everyone happily, only because he had figured out some great things. “There was also an excessive amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are found in soot, pesticides, creosotes, and roofing tar!”

“The original police report said that her Father, who was trying to gain custody of her, was a roofer.” Liz remembered as she poked around the body for any tissue to test. She never wanted to miss anything because there might’ve been something important in any little piece. “By the way, her tox screen came back with traces of somatropin, tetracycline, and glycopyrronium bromide.”

“Human growth hormone, broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat acne, and a chemical mixture that controls perspiration.” Marcel listed for anyone who didn’t really understand Liz’s big words. He paused, and then hummed a bit. “Yah, those can have some  **serious** side effects.”

“And it appears that she was beaten after she died.” Craig spoke up, pointing to different areas on the body. “The blows are most likely consistent kicking, but the dispersal pattern is… abnormal. The shoes or the make--all I can say is that they’re quite rigid, possibly steel-toed.”

There was a long pause, and then Abner suddenly hit the table with a hand, coming to a realization.

“I think she was jammed into a storm culvert, possibly for over a month! Because, the big rainstorm? It would’ve washed her body down to the treatment plant!” He suddenly let out, causing everyone to drop their work.

That made more sense than it should’ve.

 

* * *

The proper culvert had the end removed and delivered to the lab, where Craig and Marcel were currently looking in at where the body would’ve been stuffed. Marcel couldn’t help but scrunch up his nose, while Craig merely stared in and spoke.

“The crushing and scraping injuries to the scapula are congruent with Brittany McVaugh being forced into a culvert this size in a prone position.” Craig explained, running a hand through his brightly-dyed hair. “The kicks to the back we're simply the attacker’s attempt to force the body farther into the culvert where it couldn’t be seen by the public passing by.”

Marcel let out a sigh, leaving the culvert to start numbering some of the victim’s bones with the kicks, which we're now cleaned up and simply bones. When he had them numbered, he suddenly realized something.

“... There’s an asymmetry both of force and distance to these kicks.” He told Craig, who stood up straight and gave him an odd look. “The fracture pattern suggests a slight rotation to the blows, about… thirty degrees.”

“Hey, guys.” Abner suddenly interrupted, sounding a little scared. The both stared at him, waiting for the reason why he interrupted. “It wasn’t from work boots like I originally had thought… it’s actually the exact same steel used in tap shoes--like the dance studio where most of the pageant girls go to practice. Downtown.”

Craig suddenly gave a smile, lifting up a hand in that genius sort of way, and grabbed his phone from his pocket.

“Gotta call Rovia. It’s field time.” Craig stated simply, causing Marcel to smile a bit. He gave Abner a thumbs up, and Abner gave a grin before rushing off. “Hey, Rovia, Brittany McVaugh’s attacker has a thoracolumbar curve.  **Scoliosis** … and it’s someone who works at the dance studio downtown.”

 

* * *

2:30 P.M., July 2nd, 20ZS

Kyle walked into his house with a sigh, rushing past the living room as his Father screamed at his Mother, hearing the usual breaking down into sobbing from her. He walked past the bathroom upstairs, staring at the orange bottle on the counter labeled with his name. The doctor said it was supposed to stop his outbursts, but he really didn’t care, so he didn’t take the little tablets.

Instead, he went through his parents room and gathered up as many expensive-looking things he could find. Of course, he only took those things because he knew that his Father wouldn’t notice that they were gone, and that his Mother wouldn't really care or come to know that it was him stealing.

He owed people money, so why not make it from what he had?

 

* * *

_ Unknown Date and Time, perhaps two years ago _

_ They say love is blind, but it’s not. It’s filled with the fears that live inside of you. It’s painful and it’s bloody. It’s bruises and cuts. It’s rough kisses and bloody fights. _

_ Love is unjustified. Anyone can put on a fake smile, but not everyone can hide the tears and the pain underneath. _

_ If you don’t know what drives people to be inhumane, then you don’t want to find out. All she could hope for is light at the end of the tunnel, because there is no light left in her body. _

_ She liked to think that, some days, he actually saw her as a person, but she could tell by the burning fury in his eyes that he only saw her as property and that he would never see her as anything more. _

_ She wasn’t quite too sure when all of this would end, but least the schedule was a little off today. It allowed her to rest a little bit before her usual time… _

_ “Knock knock.” _

_ Or, in this case, barely any relaxation because the usual came by. She tried to make the best of the situation. _

_ “Who’s there?” She questioned softly, trying to smile as smugly as she could past the pain. She could just hear him scowling. _

_ “Get out.” He growled, but she just kept going as she slowly got onto her feet. _

_ “Get out who?” She asked, chuckling a bit as he frowned and swung open her cell door. _

_ “ _ **_Get out_ ** _ or I’ll  _ **_fucking kill you_ ** _.” He responded loathingly, causing her to frown a bit. He couldn’t take a joke. _

_ Nonetheless, she simply walked out of the cell, immediately feeling his tight grasp on her arm as he locked up her cell and then started to lead her away, as per usual. _

_ She remained silent and kept her head down as they walked past others--people in cells and people who worked the cells alike--making their way to one awfully creamy white room. It was small and square, with two plastic chairs, a table, and an empty water dispenser that was  _ **_always_ ** _ empty. The window was cracked, allowing a faint but pleasant smell of moisture into the room, and the walls we're unbearably blank with the corners curling inward where the cheap wallpaper was beginning to peel and rot. There was no light outside, as per usual. _

_ She was seated in one of the plastic chairs and he sat in the other, across the table from her, and as per usual. _

_ She tried not to show how afraid she was. _

_ “You need to grow up--trying to make jokes like that in this situation.” He growled at her, but she merely shrugged. _

_ He was the pathetic one, but she would never say it. He’d kill her if she did. Sometimes, she just felt like running. She would run and run and run… but she would never get anywhere in this damned place. _

_ She’d never get anywhere. _

_ After three hours of dealing with the usual shit she was put through, she found herself back in her cell, poking and prodding at the different bruises he had left behind this time. She was more purple than gray at this point. Her nose was still bleeding into her sleeve that she held up to it because her clothes were an utter mess anyways. There were blooming purple patches, probably signifying organ damage, but she could barely feel it past the burning of-- _

_ There she went, getting down onto her hands and knees before throwing up in the corner again. She barely had anything in her system, yet she still found herself throwing up whatever was possibly there. Honestly, it was probably the small loaves of bread they gave each morning and night. She could really go for a cup of water at the moment, cold or not… _

_ If anything, it was her heart that was really broken. Not even snapped into two. _

_ Just torn into pieces. _

 

* * *

1:07 A.M., July 3rd, 20ZS

Little padding feet came over to the side of Asgore and Toriel’s bed, the goat Father being the only one awake so late due to his reading habits before bed. He knew it was Fate--he didn’t even have to look--but he ended up shivering when she climbed into the bed next to him, only for her tiny freezing toes to touch against his heated body.

“You are  **freezing** , young one.” He stated softly, a little worried as to exactly why Fate had come to sleep beside him. She merely shrugged, snuggling in beside him and curling up against his side.

_ That’s why I’m here. _ She simply responded, although from her slight smile, she was obviously joking.

Asgore let out a hearty chuckle and placed his book down alongside his reading glasses, clicking off the bedside lamp. He noticed that the door was open a crack to let some light in and secretly wondered if Fate was afraid of the dark. Then again, what kind of child wasn’t, besides a very  **brave** one? Nonetheless, he didn’t give it too much thought as he lied down, relaxing beside the young girl and doing his best to remain aware that she was there so he wouldn’t end up rolling over and squishing her.

From the outside, Fate was a perfectly normal child, albeit with a few physical injuries, and yet she hid many purple “flowers” that had blossomed over her body, whether from recently or from years ago. Some bruises didn’t ever leave. Every time he thought too deeply about it, he could just imagine bruises everywhere. Broken nails and bashed in eyes, battered faces, bloody tears… She was so silent about it all, and yet, that quiet demeanor spoke the loudest.

For once, as he thought about the culprit, there was a feeling bubbling in his chest that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Asgore Dreemurr felt  **determined** to figure out what exactly the Abaddon was, and what had happened to Fate.

She was technically his daughter now, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asgore has joined the "Destroy the Abaddon and serve the leftovers of whoever hurt Fate to the ex-Royal Guard" team.


	27. Off To Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say... camping?  
> AND PLOT ADVANCEMENT?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't as long a I would've liked it, but hey! It's a chapter!  
> Next chapter, we'll be starting off in August and then jumping straight into September. Because school. And plans.

6:59 A.M, July 10th, 20ZS 

Fate had forgotten how much it sucked to wake up early in the morning. The bedside lamp was far too bright, Flowey was whining along with Chara, and Frisk was far too hyper, while she simply didn’t move from her bed until Frisk signed something about hiking.

Oh, right. They were doing something called “camping” this week.

Ever so slowly, Fate got out of bed with a wide, silent yawn. She felt around her bed a bit before finding the clothes she had set aside the night before. It was fairly simple, but for her little, half-asleep mind, it was so complex that she got tangled more than twice. Eventually, she was able to get on the long-sleeved, purple-tinted white dress that went down to her knees, decorated in blue flowers, on, pulling the shorter, sleeveless, beige dress of a harsher fabric overtop of it. She pulled on a pair of black leggings, and with a small yawn, managed to pull on her light brown hiking boots with neon blue laces. She didn’t bother to do them up, but knew that Toriel would probably do it for her later anyways.

After they were all dressed and she had grabbed Flowey, her two siblings rushed down the stairs like it was a race for their lives while she simply focused on not trippin or missing a step to end up slipping and falling and most likely breaking her neck. They all sat at the table, and Fate could smell the usual scent of waffles wafting from the kitchen, nearly putting her back to sleep.

Then, the doorbell rang, and Frisk hopped out of the chair immediately to go and answer it, greeted by the Cameron’s. Their house was the meeting place, after all…

Jessica looked a little sleepy while Amber was completely conked out on Danny’s back, although the older brother barely seemed to notice her weight. He even had a huge backpack on his front that was weighing him down a bit, but he wasn’t breaking much of a sweat as he greeted Frisk and asked where he could put down Amber. The couch was the only worthy candidate.

“Hello!” Toriel called from the kitchen, peeking out ever so slightly. “The waffles should be ready soon! Everyone should be arriving between now and nine. The Pickering’s and a couple of friends are renting some RV’s, which means they will most likely be here last!”

Toriel sounded far too excited in Fate’s opinion, but then again, she didn’t really know what camping even was. It sounded… okay, so far. But a whole week away… she already felt herself getting a little homesick.

Wow. Home was a word she hadn’t used in a very long time…

 

* * *

 

After everyone had arrived--ranging from a pair of lesbians that Fate barely remembered and didn’t know the names of to the non-bitchy Binchdt’s, who had been luckily dragged out of their home by Isabella’s parents although they weren’t joining in on the trip--Fate found herself indulged in a book with the hope that no one would bother her, only each other.

The people she was forced to share an RV with, although she didn’t mind **too** much, were her siblings, Flowey, the Pickering children, the Cameron children, the Rose children, and the Binchdt children. In the driver’s seat was none other than Papyrus, his eye sockets trained on the road ahead, and in the passenger’s seat was a snoring-away Sans. Everyone else had piled into the other RV before they took off, and Fate couldn’t help but yawn as she tried to focus on her book.

It didn’t work very well with Leo and Melina constantly bickering due to Leo winning every single Pokemon match they held against each other. She noted how Lena looked conflicted over who to cheer for, and had a thought, but pushed it down in favor of frowning over how loud Sans’ snoring was. Flowey was bad enough during the night…

Then, the awful sound of static came through the dashboard.

“Holy **shit** , these RV’s have walkie talkies!” Someone loudly exclaimed, bringing many of them to laugh.

“The correct term is CB radio, though.” Chara laughed, only causing more laughter from the rest of them. It was bad enough that Sans had woken suddenly and nearly fell out of his seat.

“THEY ARE VERY FUN!” Papyrus assured everyone, speaking with so much enthusiasm that Fate wondered if you could die from how much he was showing.

Nonetheless, she grabbed a water bottle and twisted it open, only to pour some of the water into Flowey’s pot before taking a sip.

Hey, even flowers needed to stay hydrated.

 

* * *

 

9 :20 A.M., July 11th, 20ZS 

Everyone was watching a movie when Fate woke up suddenly, nearly throwing the blanket. Everyone stared at her and she merely stared back before giving them a nod in greeting, relaxing against the RV couch and turning her attention to the movie. Moving pictures with stories behind them still perplexed her every now and then..

“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Chara greeted playfully, but Fate responded seriously.

 _I technically shouldn’t be alive at the moment, but hi._ She responded honestly with a slight shrug, and everyone yet again stared at her.

“... It’s too early in your life for you to be having an existential crisis, kiddo.” Sans told her from the passenger seat, staring back at her with a bit of a sweat.

“Yah, what the Hell?” Chara questioned, but Frisk suddenly giggled and brought the attention to themself.

 _Chara, I will bet twenty dollars your last words will be “what the Hell”!_ They signed with a light laugh, and Danny continued from that.

“My last word will be, “Finally”.” He told them, causing a bit of a silence.

“Dude, why?” Adar questioned, half worried and half wondering how he could be so relatable.

“Why **not**?” Danny countered with a shrug, gaining many shrugs and hums of agreement in response. “I’ll keep the stories until we’re around the campfire, though.”

“Good idea.”

 

* * *

 

5:33 P.M., July 11th, 20ZS 

It didn’t take very long for the vehicles to reach their campsite, parking around it to make a barrier of sorts, just to claim it as theirs. Fate sat aside as Chara and Frisk struggled to follow instructions on how to set up a tent, trying not to laugh at her siblings as Chara constantly argued and Frisk was just trying to read. Bathrooms, including showers, would have to make do RV-style alongside the food stuffed in the fridge and the freezer. Getting RV’s was worth it, in her opinion, after hearing Chara’s horror story about how they dug a hole for their personal bathroom last summer’s camping trip.

And Chara wasn’t one to leave out details.

There were plenty of squirrels to hang out with and feed peanuts to, however, so she wasn’t very bored as she wandered about with a bag of awkward trail mix, picking the peanuts out. The pretzels were for Flowey and the flavored chips belonged to her. Sans liked the weird granola, so she’d leave those behind for him.

This wasn’t too bad, so far.

 

* * *

 

10:38 A.M., July 12th, 20ZS 

This full day of camping would consist of hiking and all of them took pity on one another, only choosing a six mile hike with a lunch break halfway. Fate had no idea that the Blake and Morris children would be joining them, and with the sudden change in hair and clothing--even noticing a bit of mascara on Joshua’s face--she couldn’t help but do something she had learned from Sans by simply watching intently.

Checking stats without being in an encounter.

Joshua Morris   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 5.5   
DF: 10

A good friend of yours, who you’ve come to realize is a “she” instead of a “he”. 

Ine Blake   
LV: 1   
HP: 20/20   
AT: 5   
DF: 5

A good friend of yours who believes in the better for everyone, including himself. 

As she thought, but she wouldn’t say anything until they really came out. It would just be rude if she did say something.

It was a fairly long hike, which Fate pretty much just spent her time talking to Flowey or telling facts to whoever was nearby about certain animals that they passed by or gazed up at through the trees. She heard the same things over and over again: “You read too much” or a simple “Huh”. They were more interested in the fields of wildflowers and the mountains far from where they were, but she supposed that was okay. Everyone had their own preferences.

She wasn’t as out of breath as most of the others when their hike was over, which she found a little odd, but nonetheless, night fell before too long and they all ended up around the campfire, some of them eating smores and others just chewing on marshmallows. Fate took a liking to the chocolate pieces.

When scary stories went around, albeit not very scary, the night pretty much ended with a couple of campfire songs, although she didn’t know many of them.

And that night, unlike the last one, all of the children we're allowed to pile into the big tent and spend the night together. They pretended to be asleep until it seemed that, finally, all the adults had gone to sleep, all of the children turned on a dim lamp and talked amongst themselves. Most of the chatter was about the hike or the scary stories.

“Do you think we’ll all be dead by morning due to that “The White Death” story?” Jasmine asked cautiously, obviously very worried, and Chara nearly scoffed, rolling their eyes.

“I would kill all of you before any of those scary stories were true, Jasmine.” They seemed to promise her, but everyone merely stared at them in wonder or fear. “... The point is that I’d never kill any of you because I actually like you guys, so none of them are real.”

A chorus of “oh” lifted into the air from many of the children, a couple of mere hums joining in.

“I really liked that story.” Namine admitted softly, and from beside them, their sister rolled her eyes.

“You’re a crazy girl.” She accused, and then Namine started to twiddle her thumbs nervously. Everyone noticed, but luckily, they decided to speak up anyways.

“A-Actually…” They started, trailing off a bit as they flicked their eyes over the group in front of them. “I-I’m Trans, s-so I’m a guy.”

There was a pause, and then everyone gave him a smile.

“The only person who wouldn’t be okay with that is Dad, dude.” Akina chuckled a bit, ruffling Namine’s short hair. “Got a name?”

“I-Ine.” He responded softly, sinking down into their fluffy pillow with a bright red face.

No one minded.

 _So, Chara and I are Agender, Ine is Trans… anyone else want to come out?_ Frisk questioned, their smile bright and welcoming. Joshua lifted their hand, and everyone turned to them.

“I’m a girl.” She got out, finally feeling a weight come off her shoulder, and everyone hummed in agreement. It was a little obvious at this point… and Joshua merely blew a raspberry in return to their simple humming. “I’ve been thinking, and I think that I’d like to use the name Bailey. It was my Grandma’s name.”

“That sounds great.” Jericho assured his sister, who gave him a warm smile. “While we’re all coming out like it’s National Coming Out Day: I’m gay as fuck.”

Everyone broke into light laughter, not wanting to wake up the adults, and everyone merely continued on with their chattering from before.

Camping wasn’t too bad.

 

* * *

 

11:19 A.M., July 14th, 20ZS 

Everything was packed into the RVs and everyone was back to the way they had been before the trip… well, almost. Bailey and Ine were getting in their last bit of freedom before they all returned home, the group’s friendship had gotten a little stronger, and everyone was making the best of this road trip back home as they could.

Fate almost didn’t believe that Chara and Frisk would be in the seventh grade when they returned to school, or that Adar and Akina would be leaving for high school. Adar promised that she wouldn’t have any fun and still be friends with all of them, but none of them were too sure. The world worked in mysterious ways, after all…

The best thing was that Lucas and Ashley would be gone, but the more Fate thought about it, the more she realized how many things we're going to change. Janiyah would be off to high school as well, she wouldn’t be in the same class as Destiny or Chandler anymore, and over at Skyline, Olivia was moving into the seventh grade as well.

Time flied, and she didn’t like it very much.

She felt bad for Adar, Akina and Janiyah, having to be stuck with so many awful people as they moved into high school. Then again, that meant getting closer with Jericho since he was in the ninth grade. Wasn’t Ashley’s older sister in the eighth grade? And that senior, Virgil, was out of high school now…

Fate was so nervous, she felt like throwing up, but then she thought about the years to come--

She noticed a dead racoon on the road that they had just passed by. Wait…

“Did you just run over a racoon?” Jasmine asked her Father, who was driving for them this time, and his knuckles were white around the steering wheel.

“No.” He lied, and then everyone broke into laughter because they could tell that he was lying.

Fate couldn’t help but relax about her worries from before, honestly feeling that things would be okay. There were worse things to think about than school shifts anyways…

Nonetheless, this too shall pass.

 

* * *

 

Every single day after work, Craig laid down on his comfortable couch either reading books or watching talk shows--no communication with others. No one really liked him that much anyways. He was just lucky to still have his apartment.

Loneliness brought life into another realm, quietness was the new beginning for humankind to think more and more for themselves. He was free to build his own thoughts and express himself in unique ways and ideas. Loneliness helped to create his identity and it would continue to strengthen his inner self…

He wanted so bad to believe that, but nowadays, he couldn’t. Lonely was an abstract idea, an affliction of the old, as his phone rang with one name for him to read: “Marcel”. That brat never left him alone and yet, he was an insurance policy on life, love, and the hereafter. For some damn reason, this kid--

He picked up the phone.

“What do you want?” He asked gruffly, rubbing at his face in exhaustion before feeling around for his glasses. He had fallen asleep without realizing it.

“I just wanted to know how you were doing!” Marcel’s cheerful voice came over the phone, and Craig could just **feel** him smiling. “Y’know, after Brittany’s murderer was placed on trial and thrown into jail and all! I can’t believe some woman would be so **jealous** of a **kid** …”

“It’s a small-minded world, Marcel…” Craig sighed as he found his glasses, smudged from falling onto the carpet below. “I’m doing fine.”

The term “murderer” seemed to be reserved for psychopaths these days. If the killing was done for means of survival, no one thought less of you. There were those that took life and crumpled under the weight of guilt, even if they had no choice. There were some who killed when necessary and never lost a wink of sleep over it--and that was pretty much where Craig sat. There were others who had made it a whole new hobby; look at them the wrong way and they would attack with a lethal force. That last group were the only ones really considered murderers now. The term applied to him as much as it did to a wolf or a bear. Killing in self defense is just a given. Killing for resources is a gray area.

All because the government really didn’t give a shit, if Craig was going to be honest. If there was an easy case--off with it.

“Would you… maybe like to get a coffee with me?” Marcel suddenly asked, causing Craig to pause and stare at the blank TV screen in front of him. “I finally got out of the house after drowning myself in work and I figured it would be nice! If you don’t have anything to do, that is…”

Craig continued to stare at himself in the blank screens reflection. Marcel wanted to just hang out? Like… like friends did? This was… a first.

“... Only if we can go to Ebott’s best coffee shop near my place. They sell cake, too.” Craig responded, pulling the phone away from his ear when Marcel squealed a little bit.

“I **love** cake! It’s a deal! I’ll see you in twenty minutes?” Marcel asked, and for some reason, Craig couldn’t help but smile, already getting onto his feet and grabbing his jacket.

“I’ll be there in ten and get us a table.” He told the younger male, who hummed in agreement, said goodbye, and then hung up.

Craig grabbed his keys last, heading out the door, but not before noticing someone else leaving their apartment as well. They made eye contact as he locked his door, and he gave the best smile he could.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Cantre.” He greeted kindly, gaining a bright smile back from the older woman.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Khourey.” She greeted in response before they took off in different directions.

Neither of them knew just how close their ties were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ms. Cantre is shady as fuck. Just saying.


	28. Back To School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, there's a new addition to the Dreemurr family. Then it's back to Elementary for these rookies! Also, does Craig do drugs? Read to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SHITTING CHAPTERS OUT OF MY NON-EXISTENT ASS.
> 
> *clears throat* Please enjoy.
> 
> FYI: Toriel is not pregnant. Do not get your hopes up for an actual new Dreemurr... yet.

10:30 A.M., August 7th, 20ZS

Still in her pajamas, Fate was not expecting to be lead downstairs by Frisk only to be greeted by the other three Dreemurr’s, plus a potted flower, to be surrounding the table that had one big cake on it, decorated with nine dark blue candles. She had no idea what was going on as Frisk made her sit in the chair right in front of the cake, until they all started singing--and grumbling if you counted Flowey.

“ **_Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Dear Fate. Happy birthday to you._ ** ”

Oh, right. She turned nine today.

There was a pause, and then Chara whispered to Fate that she was supposed to blow out the candles while making a wish as tradition. The only problem was, Fate didn’t know what to wish for…

Her species was weird. When you’re born, it’s not your birthday. When you hatch from your egg, that’s your birthday, and you could remember hatching from your egg depending on how old you we're. She still remembered hatching from hers, that dull white shell with even duller gray stars decorating it. It had been noon on this day, nine years ago, and it had been raining ever so softly. She was named after the rain, even though she didn’t use that name anymore.

The day she was born, something in the atmosphere had shifted.

Fate blew out the candles, wishing for the only thing she could think of: Peace. Just for her family--well, both of her families to be safe and sound even if they weren’t together. For the Abaddon to be destroyed without anyone good having to sacrifice their life. For her friends to be able to live the lives they wanted. This included Gaster, who hadn’t missed out on one piece of the birthday action from beside her, clapping happily as she blew out the candles alongside the others.

She was glad that the season was almost over, and that she had a whole year to start over again.

And then she was given a gift, something that perplexed her even more. Frisk ran downstairs to the basement, crashed into something,  **broke** something, and then came rushing back up with the gift in their arms.

It was a small black kitten with two different colored eyes--heterochromia iridium, she believed it was called. The left eye was a sapphire blue just like hers, and the right one was a golden brown. The kitten was passed over to her immediately, and after a moment of wondering just who she was, the kitten settled into a nap on Fate’s lap. Said birthday girl merely giggled in excitement, petting the kitten softly and enthusiastically. She was nearly vibrating with joy.

“What’s her name?” Frisk whispered, their red-brown eyes focused on the kitten from underneath their long bangs. They would need a haircut soon…

Fate thought for a moment, brushing her fingers through the kitten’s lon fur, and then spoke.

“Ebony.” She decided softly, sharing an excited glance with Frisk.

Thus, there was a new addition to the Dreemurr family.

~

7:50 A.M., September 4th, 20ZS

Fate didn’t usually wear pink, but you know what, it wasn’t actually too bad of a color. She especially liked the light, pastel pinks. Pastel colors were pretty fun.

That day, she had decided to wear a slight baggy, long-sleeved, pastel pink dress that went down to just below her knees, with one solid layer and one see-through layer, a pair of black stockings, and her cyan high-tops with the neon red laces. Since it was cold and raining, she pulled on a pastel green sweater before grabbing her yellow raincoat that she hadn’t worn in a while, pulling it on snuggly.

Despite the bad memories, it was still a lovely coat.

Walking into Ms. Cotler’s classroom, she felt a sense of familiarity, squeezing onto Flowey’s pot as she made a dash for the same desk she was in last year. Ah, that smudge of red from those hateful words either Adianna or Keisha had written on her desk... 

A moment after she had sat down and removed her raincoat, keeping her sweater on, she spotted Aaron by the door, probably scared about entering the classroom. To help calm his nerves, she lifted a hand high and waved when he looked into the classroom and almost immediately, he rushed in and fell into the seat of the desk beside her. That was pretty cool of him…

Judith Acerbi entered the room and took a seat, looking excited to start a new grade, and then Jaylynne came in a couple of minutes behind her with none of than Keisha Hofer. And even worse, Keisha had  **bathed** herself in perfume, causing them all to either cover their mouths and noses or to gag--albeit, Fate had done both. Amber came in very anxiously after that, and Fate waved her over to take an open seat in front of her to the right, in which the young girl did so quickly with a kind smile. The last ones besides Ms. Cotler to arrive were none other than Shavon and Adianna, both twins having different reactions to Fate being there.

Shavon smiled and waved, and Adianna rolled her eyes, taking her seat from last year with Shavon sitting to the front left of Fate, right behind his sister.

When the bell rang, Ms. Cotler was about to take attendance, and then someone arrived that Fate wasn’t expecting to see in her class this year, apologizing for being late.

None other than Destiny Allyn.

He took his seat from last year, straight to the right of her because the kid who had sat in it before decided to move, and he gave her his usual grin despite the shame and guilt his eyes carried.

_ Why are you here? _ She questioned carefully, feeling a bit bad for him because he looked so upset, and her frowned a bit. She hadn’t seen Destiny frown until now, from what she could remember.

_ I failed Math and Science, so I over-all failed the fourth grade. _ He responded before brightening up again.  _ I’m back, bitches. _

Fate couldn’t help but snort and giggle a little bit before looking up to the front of the classroom, feeling a bit better about the years to come.

“Welcome to a new school year, students, and welcome back to those of you who were in my class last year.” Ms. Cotler greeted enthusiastically, gaining many greetings back. “My name is Ms. Liliana Cotler and I will be your third and fourth grade teacher! Now, I have your first assignment.”

She paused to allow many of the anticipated groans from the children to be heard, starting to hand out sheets for all of them to fill out.

“It’s quite simple.” She promised them as she returned to the front of the class. “You simply have to introduce yourselves. You have fifteen minutes to fill these sheets out before I start calling you up one by one to read them. I understand that some of you may be nervous or have trouble speaking, so you may ask for me or someone else to speak for you. So… start writing!”

~

Lena was excited for this school year. She had a slightly bigger class and was still in the same class as Leo, Maggie, and most importantly Melina, so this would be  **great** !

“I-I’m calling attendance now!” Ms. Helen Succorkit called out.

Her voice was slightly soft for someone of authority, and the students went quiet immediately, taking their seats. Ms. Succorkit looked relieved and slightly shocked that the young children had listened, and even taken their seats.

“U-Um… Ellena Asher?”

Whispers suddenly started flying around the room as the young girl raised her hand--er, paw--and Lena couldn’t help but be intrigued. Ellena was the same kind of monster that Fate was, it seemed, but she had bright red fur and extremely dark brown eyes, including some heavy bags under her eyes that pointed towards immense lack of sleep. She looked kind of like Adar did whenever she locked herself in her room, only leaving if necessary, such as for food. Everyone kept saying mean things, apparently rumors, like how she hit some kid over the head with a stick and sent them to the hospital.

One that caught her attention was that some kids had heard about Ellena and her older brother, whose name happened to be Jered, being in some sort of gang that lived on the streets and got into fights. The “proof” was that the Asher siblings often appeared at school with awful bruises, many of them, or limping, and they didn’t speak to anyone very much. Jered spoke sometimes, but Ellena… no one had heard her speak.

“F-Felicia Bayer?”

“Don’t butcher my name, Ms!” Felicia whined, signifying that she was there. From the pearls around her neck and the lip gloss making her lips all sticky, not to mention her supposed privilege of having everyone around her be perfect, Lena already didn’t like her very much.

“S-Sorry… Felix Bayer?”

Felix silently raised his hand, his hair shaggy and his movements silent. He was very different from his twin sister.

“M-Melina Binchdt?”

“Hi, Helen!” Melina greeted cheerfully, her ponytail bouncing with her body as she waved and giggled. Lena couldn’t help but be mesmerized… besides the odd fact that Melina wasn’t wearing pigtails. Didn’t she always, though…? Odd.

“S-... Sage Keynes?”

Sage lifted up her paw from beside Ellena, seeming like one of the kids that didn’t really mind her being around. Lena didn’t know if that was because they were friends, or… was that a cut on Sage’s arm?

“L.. Lena Pickering?”

Lena raised her hand immediately, very excited and grinning happily. Even so, this year would be great!

“Leo Pickering?”

Leo raised his hand ever so slightly, blowing his bangs out of his eyesight even though it was trained on the desk in front of him.

“Mag-Magdalen Rose?”

“It’s Maggie, please!” Maggie responded, lifting her hand up high and giggling when Helen nodded in response, quickly jotting a note down about that.

“A-And… Trent Young?”

The young boy with light brown hair and gray-blue eyes raised his hand, looking a little bored.

“O-Okay… E-Everyone is here, so let’s play a game!”

~

Chandler felt the dread settling in his stomach already. He was in  **Linda’s** class, after all. She could make policies ten miles long and alphabetize her filing cabinet, she could attend meetings and dress real nice, and yet her heart was empty and her mind was closed.

He couldn’t take it and it was only the first day. Please, for the love of God--and he wasn’t religious--make her  **shut up** . It was rules this, rules that, “I’ll use the proper name and pronouns unlike you” this, and “Don’t you dare flap your hands around in my class” that. He already knew that she was readying herself for failing everyone, especially him. She didn’t like him, but then again, the feeling was mutual. The only friend he had in this class was Cass, and she was terrified as well--very different from how talkative she was in Ms. Cotler’s class.

He started worrying about everything. His Mom had a cold, the rent was overdue, his Dad was still wandering free  **somewhere** in Italy where they came from, he had trained his accent to be gone long before he started to attend school and yet it still came out sometimes, the world was fucked up really bad, and he was  **sure** that the gangs had their eyes on him.

And if Linda didn’t stop being a bitch, one day he was going to take a fist full of anger and pain, and he was going to shove it right in her face. Her only grade from him: SEE ME FOR WHO I AM.

God, he wanted to die… blah, blah, blah, on she went…

~

Danny thought death would be nice right now. There were  **far** too many kids in this class, and yet, Mrs. Geraldine Carpenter continued on like it was just another day.

He slumped at the vinyl desk-for-one, flicking at the tape that peeled from the side to reveal the MDF board underneath. These plastic chairs were alright a few grades ago, he was sure, but now all the heights we're wrong and it made his back ache. Mrs. Carpenter droned on and he wasn’t quite sure what the topic was, but whatever. Then, what felt like the back end of a pencil jabbed him in the shoulder blade and he turned around, taking notice of Bailey for the first time.

“Hey, dude--dudette, what’s up?” Danny asked quietly, trying not to gain attention from anyone. Not only would he interrupt class but, he’d be outing Bailey, and neither of those would be a cool or nice thing to do, especially the outing part.

“I was just wondering if you had Adar’s number? I lost my old phone and got a new one, so I lost her number as well and texting her was fun. I also would like your number, if possible?” She questioned softly, gaining two small nods from him.

“I’ll give you a paper with ‘em after class.” He promised before turning back around and sinking back into his seat. He didn’t miss the thankful smile Bailey had given him before returning her attention to the teacher’s words. Danny decided to merely glance around the room.

Klahan Acerbi was scribbling on his desk with a pencil.

Fro was chatting with Chara and Frisk as per usual from last year.

Jered Asher was actually making conversation with Pogo Bellatrix and Skyler Palkins.

Aiden was chatting with with Ine and Jasmine in the corner, all of them giggling about something.

Takanashi Hibiki and Krystal Eve, an odd pair, we're passing a paper back and forth, obviously chatting through that since they were at the front of the class.

Kyle Jekyll was scrolling through something on his phone, not that Danny cared too much about what it was.

Peter and Tristan we're making conversation with Isabella and some kid named Killian Polyxo who Danny didn’t know too much about.

And then alone in the front was Madison Succorkit, which Danny couldn’t help but snort because she had no one to help her with work this year unless she found some sort of genius amongst them…

Ah, finally, talk about Science. Danny could pay attention to this.

~

“Alright, it’s been fifteen minutes!”

Fate smiled a bit, having finished five minutes ago and noticing that many of the kids we're rushing and scribbling to add last minute things to their papers.

“Alphabetical order, introductions, and attendance all in one, here we come!”

Many of the kids giggled. Fate tuned out most of the class except people she was interested in and people she knew.

“Judith Acerbi.”

The girl stood up and turned to face the class enthusiastically, seeming very happy and excited.

“Hello! My name is Judith Acerbi, I was born on May 24th, I’m in the third grade, and I live with my Mom and my older brother who is in the sixth grade! My favorite food is hot chicken wings and my favorite color is violent! I like owls, I dislike horror novels, and a hobby of mine is photography!”

She sat down and everyone gave her a small applause.

“Destiny Allyn?”

Destiny stood up, climbing onto his chair to be taller, and gave his usual big grin to the class.

“Hey there! My full name is Zachary Joseph Dale Allyn, but I go by Destiny.” He introduced, a chorus of “wow” flying through the classroom from his long name. “I was born on July 15th alongside my twin sister Cass to a family of four--my Dad, Mom, older brother, and older sister--and I’m supposed to be in the fifth grade, but I kinda flunked the fourth, so here I am again!” Light laughter rang out. “My favorite food is mashed potatoes, my favorite color is orange such as the sunset, I like to play checkers, and I actually don’t like trucks. I think they’re too big and loud and not worth the effort, especially monster trucks. A hobby of mine is actually… building birdhouses. I like birds, and  **not** for eating--except chickens and turkey.”

Everyone laughed and he took a dramatic bow, taking a seat again, and then Amber held up her paper for Ms. Cotler, who happily took it to read it for the young girl.

“This is Amber Cameron, born on April 9th, and she lives with her single Mother alongside her older brother who is in the seventh grade. Unfortunately, she was born with a problem in her lungs, so she can’t speak or really make any sound at all, but she communicates through ASL if anyone happens to know that--I  **know** that a few of you do. She likes animals crackers and the color green, like the eyes of each Cameron, and she also likes science, while she dislikes anything that brings her anxiety. A hobby of hers is hanging out with her older brother, and often most of the time, with a select group of friends that they both get along with.”

Everyone gave a quiet applause for Amber, which she was thankful for, and then they moved on

“Fate Dreemurr?”

Despite Flowey initially believing that he would read for Fate, the young girl grabbed her paper and stood up onto her chair much like Destiny did, not looking at anyone as she read with a soft voice, just loud enough for everyone to here.

“An odd thing about me is that my real name isn’t Fate Dreemurr, but I go by it because it makes me comfortable and the Dreemurr’s are my current family.” Everyone hummed in response, most of them still just shocked by how she was talking fairly easily. Her voice still shook, but at least she was speaking. “I don’t usually speak, using ASL instead, but occasionally I will. I was born on August 7th and I live with Asgore, Toriel, Chara, and Frisk Dreemurr, along with Flowey. He often translates for me when I use ASL and he’s kinda like a brother to me.”

“Kid, I’m not your brother.” Flowey growled, but Fate merely gave him a small smile as many of the kids laughed at his irritability.

“My favorite foods are spaghetti--mostly when a skeleton called Papyrus makes it--chicken nuggets, and onion rings. My favorite color is green… l-like the grass. I like hiking, as I did plenty of that this summer on a camping trip with my friends and family, and a hobby of mine is reading. As for something I dislike… that would be trains. I mean, they’re cool and great, but they’re loud and they can take you anywhere on a distinct route, which… kinda creeps me out…”

Fate sat down immediately and everyone gave her a bit of applause, causing her to cover her face with her hands in embarrassment.

“Aaron Eve?”

Aaron passed his paper to Ms. Cotler, who gladly took it and read it for him.

“This is Aaron Eve, who suffers from Anxiety, much like Amber does. He was born on July 3rd and lives with his single Father and his older sister who is in the sixth grade. His favorite food is Pop Tarts, his favorite color is maroon, a liking of his is theatre, a dislike of his is horror movies, and a hobby of his is practicing or performing magic tricks.”

Everyone gave a small applause yet again and Aaron merely sunk down in his chair. Ms. Cotler seemed to sigh as she read out the next name.

“Keisha Hofer?”

Keisha shot up like she was on some sort of drug, her face still caked in makeup like last year--if not worse now that she was a year older--and she wore even more expensive jewellery than she did last year. Not to mention her clothes got more expensive, too…

“Hiii~! I’m Keisha Palmira Hofer and I was born on May 19th to my Father and Mother, being their  **only** child. My favorite food is sweet and sour chicken, my favorite color is pink, and a hobby of mine is shopping. I  **love** jewellery and makeup, and I have a dislike for bees!”

She sat down, expecting major applause, but only got a bit of him, causing her to pout and cross her arms in anger.

“Adianna Rovatta?”

Adianna let out a sigh, and then stood up with a roll of her eyes.

“My name is Adianna Rovatta, born on the first day of September, and the only notable person in my family, in my opinion, is my twin brother, Shavon. My favorite food is… mozzarella sticks, if I dare to say, and my favorite color would most likely be a light coral. I like piano and classical music, and I really hate wind chimes because they’re annoying. An odd hobby of mine is playing the violin because I don’t know where I even learned to play, honestly.”

Adianna sat down and there was some light applause.

“Shavon Rovatta?”

Shavon stood up, much more enthusiastic than his sister.

“Hi, I’m Shavon Rovatta. I was born on the first day of September and I think the only notable person in my family is me as well.” His joke caused Adianna to scoff and slap her brother on the thigh, only bringing him to laugh alongside many others. “I’m joking, it’s my twin sister, Adianna. My favorite food is pizza--it’s so good--and my favorite color, oddly enough, is actually teal. I really like quilts because they’re big and warm, and I dislike dodgeball because I always end up getting hit in the head somehow. A hobby of mine is actually painting! I like to paint.”

He sat down, gaining some applause that included heavy slapping of the hands from Keisha because she was trying too hard to be noticed by him.

“Jaylynne Sollers?”

Jaylynne stood up a little anxiously, but spoke up anyways.

“Hey… My name is Jaylynne Diamante Sollers.” Everyone let out an “ooh” at Jaylynne’s middle name, causing her to blush a bit. “I was born on December 17th and I live with my single Dad, Norman. My favorite foods are nachos and tacos, and my favorite color is dark magenta. I like dragons, I dislike clowns, and a hobby of mine is actually playing pranks, but that’s… mostly at home.”

Jaylynne sat down, received her applause, and then the list continued.

And somehow, the moment they were finished, came the morning announcements. Coincidence? Fate didn’t quite believe in that, only inevitability.

“ _ Good morning Willow Creek Elementary, and sorry for the wait. I’m your principal, Mr. Sophoclaus, and these are your morning announcements. I have a lot coming your way, so perhaps take out some paper and a pencil--or even a planner--to keep note of it all. _ ”

Fate missed Chandler’s questioning of the morning announcements, but nonetheless, immediately grabbed a notebook and her pencil to keep track of the announcements.

“ _ Welcome back to school, first of all! Even though they’re not here, I’d like to wish our children that went off to high school a warm good luck as they move forward in the world. _ ”

Everyone chatted a bit.

“ _ We’ve started the sale of Halloween Baggies early this year, each 50 cents in the main hall starting tomorrow, and instead of me and the office staff putting them together, our very own Ms. Cantre put them together for us! _ ”

The kids cheered, hoping for good Halloween baggies with this fresh start.

“ _ Speaking of Ms. Cantre, she hopes to put on a good show at the annual winter concert this year! It will be on December 20th like always, the day before school gets out for winter break, and as per usual, one lucky child from each grade has a chance to do a solo part during the concert, whether it’ll be reading a story or singing a song. _ ”

Everyone stared at Fate, whispering a little bit, and she felt slightly uncomfortable.

“ _ The auditions for that will be on the first day of October at lunch. They’ll be judged by Ms. Cantre and announced the week after, as per usual. _ ”

The rest of the morning announcements we're pretty boring, in Fate’s opinion, so she tuned them out in favor of wondering what to be for Halloween and what song to audition with… last year was pretty okay, so why not try again this year?

~

Craig pulled into the abandoned parking lot with Marcel in the backseat, unbuckling his seatbelt first and lying down to not be noticed. Craig didn’t know why Marcel  **insisted** to come along, but nonetheless, he simply exited the vehicle, making his way over to an old wooden bench as he waited. Merely moments later, a car similar to his pulled in, and a familiar man got out of the car.

“If it isn’t Craig Khourey.” He addressed with a shit-eating grin, and Craig merely lifted up his hands in surrender.

“It’s me.” He assured the man, who chuckled a bit before lighting up a cigarette. “Do you have my things?”

“Do you have the cash?” The man countered, causing Craig to frown a bit before he handed over the wad of twenty dollar bills, all of them adding up to five hundred.

The man grinned, and then handed over a paper bag that he had stuffed into the big singular pocket of his hoodie. Craig took it, immediately heading back to his car after thanking the man, and then the man took off back to his car as well, taking off the moment Craig disappeared into his small car. Marcel then leaned over Craig’s shoulder curiously.

“What’s in the bag?” He asked, all curious and not suspicious at all. Craig would never understand him…

“Drugs.” Craig joked in a serious tone, knowing that Marcel wouldn’t believe him and give him a certain look, and then he would smile a bit. Craig couldn’t help but smile back and respond honestly. “Something important for something I’m gonna do. You and Tyler can tag along, if you’d like.”

Marcel enjoyed that Craig included Tyler more often than not.

“I’d love to!” He responded happily, and then sat back into his seat and buckled up.

As Craig buckled up and adjusted his rearview mirror, he could’ve sworn that he saw someone leaning over Marcel’s shoulder. A boy of nineteen, just like the african-american teen, but he had tanned white skin, dirty blonde hair, and bright blue eyes that pierced into Craig’s even just through a reflection. He was smiling, ever so slightly.

And Craig wasn’t scared, because he knew exactly who it was. Instead, he smiled back, started up the car, and drove off while going over plans in his head.

It was time for some truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Craig is planning? Also, my girl is nine!! The school year starts... muhaha... No sign of high school yet, but it's on the horizon!!


	29. Tell Me The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Danny's birthday, and we get a better look at Craig. We also get a better look at none other than our resident Ms. Cantre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like... intense shitting of chapters. I hope you're all enjoying this. I'm just getting inspiration burst after inspiration burst and it's 10:30 in the night and WoWiE wOwZeRs!!!!!!! I need sleep. This is probably it for the burst, but y'know what, perhaps not. I'm not too sure. We'll play it by ear.. or eyes... uUUUUUJhJMmM...
> 
> WARNING/CAUTION/FYI/ASDFGHJKL:  
> This chapters contains low self-esteem issues and death/mentionings of death. Flashback stuff, y'know?

**** 3:30 P.M., September 8th, 20ZS

Danny thought that maybe, just  **maybe** , he should’ve thought this whole “birthday” thing through. When his Mother said that he couldn’t just read a book or play games on her phone the whole time, he really should’ve cancelled. He didn’t know why he didn’t.

Oh, right. Because he wanted to keep the group of friends he had.

Nonetheless, he checked everything over for a second time. Games, a movie, the right ice cream cake, the piano polished--which he was super grateful to even have a piano, like, where did his Mother get the money? Nonetheless, he was just grateful to have her around. And Amber. Amber was cool and kind.

And his cats we're fucking with the TV chords.

“Hey!” He scolded, but that only brought them over to him, each of them wrapping their fluffy bodies around his ankles. “Suck ups…”

He shimmied over to their favorite chair, passed them off, and then went upstairs to try and fix his hair. Try being the keyword, ad the thought of a haircut briefly crossed his mind when some of the brush bristles broke, before he decided to just get a better hairbrush. Dollar store ones sucked anyways.

Then the doorbell rang, and he could hear  **everyone** . They had all met up on the corner, apparently, and he nearly gagged at himself in the mirror before giving himself a nod, the mess he called his hair shifting down into his face before he blew it away.

“You suck.” He reassured himself before leaving the bathroom and heading downstairs.

Oh, yah, this was everyone. All his friends.  **How the Hell did he get so many friends** ?  **_How the Hell was Amber okay with so many people_ ** ? He actually felt a little proud of his sister for becoming so comfortable with mini-crowds, but hated himself for being so uncertain. He felt like each time he was around them, he had to walk on glass that could break with any wrong amount of pressure or any wrong move. He wasn’t being pressured by them, but it was just how he was. Call it lack of self-esteem, if you wish.

The chorus of “happy birthday” from all of his friends threw him off a little bit, but he managed to smile--which actually wasn’t too hard because his friends we're good and likeable people--and thank them for the birthday wishes.

Then, the evening of games and cake began with a short intermission for one of Danny’s favorite movies, although he didn’t really pay attention this time around, oddly enough. He was too focused on his friends, and having to pet Socrates since the dang cat was curled up in his lap and would meow obnoxiously otherwise. They were nice to him and in return, he tried his best to be nice to them. Each of them we're amazing, whether they had the same interests or not, and he was happy that Adar, Akina and Jericho could make it despite the high school year just having started.

Albeit, Adar had admitted to having so much homework, but not feeling like doing it.

Danny felt like that was relatable because... well, shit, it **was**.

 

* * *

_ 12:19 A.M., July 20th, Eighteen Years Ago _

_ Craig Khourey, merely ten years old and already standing at 4’10”, was breathing heavily as he ran down Barry St. in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It wasn’t from the July heat or fatigue from barely sleeping, and not from a lack of physical capability because he played rugby and he was one of the top members of his team. It was from  _ **_fear_ ** _. Genuine fear. He ran through the cool midnight air, knowing that if his parents found out, he and his sister would be slaughtered. _

_ His sister, Aifric Khourey, merely eight years old, had snuck out of the house to hang out with her friends and found herself stranded on the side of the road because her “friends” had tied her to a tree. Craig swore that if he ever got his hands on them, he’d snap each of their necks.  _ **_No one_ ** _ messed with his little sister. _

_ He finally found her by her tie-dye hoodie at the end of the street, indeed tied to a tree, but still able to text from her phone. She was lucky to have one, but then again, she was even more lucky that Craig had one as well and didn’t just ignore her text like most siblings would. He untied her and accepted her tight hug, hugging her back with the strength of a Mother bear before she pulled away. He brushed her hair out of her face and gave her a soothing smile, wrapping an arm over her shoulders. _

_ “I’m always here for you, even when you’re breaking rules and tied to a tree past midnight.” He promised her even though it was obvious that he was going to use this as a joke against her for years to come. She giggled a little bit and gave him a nod, and then they started to cross the empty street together. _

_ Then, out of nowhere came a Toyota car, rushing down the street at the highest speed either of the Khourey siblings had seen. It was the only thing they saw before suddenly, they were slammed into, being sent forty and fifty-five feet, respectively. _

_ Craig could feel his bones, muscles, joints and organs like they we're being crumbled and smashed into a tiny box. His lungs contracted with such force that he was afraid they would fold into themselves. His torso and head smashed up against the windshield before he went flying, his arms and legs flailing and searching for somewhere to hold and stop the forward movement his body was going. The world must have kept flickering its figurative light switch because his vision kept flashing from bitter darkness to blinding white light. The only sound that filled his ears we're the screeching of brakes, then the revving of the engine as the driver sped off, and then the distant cracking of his bones alongside his sister’s from fifteen feet away. He had flown through the air, his broken bod almost limp from the impact that occured seconds before, and he landed just as limp as he had been while he flew, wondering if this was a dream or if this was really a thing that was happening. _

_ When everything finally stopped, the only sound in his ears was that of rain, and then in the very far distance, he could hear sirens. He kept waking and waking. He preferred being unconscious rather than awake because when he was awake, he could feel the pain and taste the coppery blood pooling in his mouth. He sucked in cramped air, his lungs caving in on themselves, and he felt like he was there for hours, fading and waking and fading and waking. His agony was the only thing he could feel anymore, except for the guilt and fear that his little sister might be dead, fifteen feet away. _

_ He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t scream for help. He could barely see or hear the ambulances and the police cars arriving, the voices talking to him. He could just feel. He could feel the hands of the paramedics, he could feel the needles and the different cloth being pushed onto his wounds, and he could feel the stretcher underneath him. _

_ That was the day both of the Khourey siblings died. Aifric went before her brother, and then Craig slowly faded out… _

_ And then, right after he had been given CPR ad the time of death had been announced, Craig Khourey snapped to life, gasping for air. No one could believe it. He shouldn’t have survived--he had  _ **_flatlined for minutes_ ** _. To the doctors, it was a miracle. To his parents, it was a nuisance. _

_ For Craig, it was an experience full of guilt and wonder. Aifric was dead because he couldn’t protect her, that’s what he thought, and yet, he wondered about what he couldn’t remember. It had been all black, but maybe that was the point. Maybe it had just been a void. Nonetheless, he was alive. Injured awfully, but alive. _

_ He remembered flying and then sliding across the ground, apparently forty feet according to the doctor, off the road and in a tree before tumbling down onto the sidewalk. He remembered looking over at Aifric for a moment, and she had just been sprawled out in the middle of the road. He didn’t know how he didn’t get knocked out until arriving in the hospital. His left leg was all bruised up and he couldn’t move his right one because it was too swollen, and his spleen was cracked. _

_ And yet, somehow, he survived. He returned home not long after, having to use a walker to get around since his parents wouldn’t help him anyways. _

_ Two years later, he was kicked out of the house and onto the streets, finally recovered from the car accident physically. However, mentally, he wanted to die. He wished that he had died that day with Aifric. _

_ And then the thought occurred… _

_ Maybe he  _ **_had_ ** _ died that day. _

 

* * *

2:30 P.M., September 9th, 20ZS

Whenever someone said “shy”, Marcel immediately thought of the mimosa plant--the “touch-me-not”. Sometimes he thought that they were just shy, so he had called them “notice-me-not” for many years, as when people notice them, they were so tempted to touch the mimosa plant with the pink ball of fluffy flower on it… Then, he had realized how much Craig resembled the flower, but had never dared to elaborate on it. Even now, Craig was rushing about, getting ready for the guest that would arrive to his home sooner than later, and Marcel merely watched him with a playful smile and an open mind.

Craig couldn’t help but think back to the awful days he spent during the first twelve years of his life, especially the last two. Without Aifric, everything got worse. He recalled how his body jarred with each blow, how the pain seared through his skin and took away every feeling of safety he ever had. Even when he was injured from the car accident, his Father put his all into each strike. His sinewy arm would recoil and snap back, and maybe at first, he had shed tears, but he couldn’t recall. Crying wasn’t allowed. If he buckled, his Father would tell him to stop before he gave him something to cry about, and he meant every part of it. Craig still believed that his Father did his best in his own way, his Mother as well…

Then, a calm knock at his door sent his dashing to answer it, drying his hands quickly before turning the knob and opening it, greeting his guest with a smile.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Cantre! Can I offer you some tea?” Craig questioned as he welcomed the woman inside.

“That sounds lovely, Mr. Khourey.” Ms. Cantre responded, smiling in that way. It was the way Craig remembered his sister smiling when she greeted their Mother’s dinner party guests, not scared but not relaxed enough for a genuine smile. He couldn’t blame her--both his sister and Ms. Cantre.

“Please, call me Craig. The dining room table is where we all sit, I assume.” Craig joked, trying to be as light-hearted as possible, and Ms. Cantre gave a calm smile as she walked to the dining room, Craig disappearing into the kitchen.

He could hear Ms. Cantre and Marcel greeting each other, introducing themselves and then chatting quietly, but he couldn’t focus on that. The tea was already made, so he just had to pour it. Staring at the paper bag behind the three teacups, Craig wondered if he wanted to do this… and then he reached into the bag quietly and grabbed the little tubes of powder and serum. He mixed them in a small cup, and then started pouring.

He poured it into all three glasses before he knew it.

It was time for the truth.

Mixing it in with the tea and giving a taste test, Craig could taste that something was off, s he added more tea and sugar to the mugs, stirring again, and then tasting. It was masked. He felt awful already. Nonetheless, he grabbed the three mugs and carried them out with a small smile, putting one in front of each of them. Conversation was quickly made, and the moment all three of them had for sure drank from the cups, Craig started the real conversation. He was six feet of pure genius---or, at least, he  **hoped** that he was.

“Ms. Cantre, I’ve heard some rumors around the building about you.” Craig started playfully, gathering the woman’s attention. She still seemed oblivious to what he had really put in her tea. “You grew up on a farm?” Ms. Cantre let out a laugh, putting her mug down and giving him a nod.

“Yes, I did, from the age of seventeen to the age of twenty. It was only three years of my life, but it was very fun and very educational.” She responded truthfully, and he knew that it was the truth. She couldn’t lie now. Craig gave a brighter smile.

“Really? Where did you grow up before then?” Craig questioned, honestly curious even though he sort of already knew the answer.

“Ah, Northern Ireland for the first eight years of my life. Then we moved.” She explained, and Craig gave a nod. It was working. This was the truth. He knew it wasn’t her fault, but he had to know for sure and he had to confirm their ties.

“I lived there as well, for twenty years. I spent seven of those in jail.” Craig told her honestly, and that was when the atmosphere of the conversation shifted. Marcel looked a little awkward in between them, leaning back a bit and sipping his tea. “I killed some guy in an airport because he was connected to the death my sister. Do you know who he was?” Ms. Cantre stared down into her tea, unable to make eye contact. “He was Bartley Cantre, your Father. I know who you are, Aloisia, and I know your past. I know it wasn’t your fault, but I have to know the details. Did he  **mean** it? Did he even  **think** about us?  **What did you do** after your Father ran over two  **defenseless children** , one your age and one merely two years older than you?”

There was a very long silence. No one move.d Craig breathed angrily even though it wasn’t the woman’s fault that his sister had died. It wasn’t her fault that her Father had no damn heart.

“... I recall the day my Father shook me above the couch by the scruff of my clothes.” Aloisia began, tears welling up in my eyes. “My body moved more like a rag doll than an eight year old little girl. He had taken me for a terrifying drive. I had broken his radio… just his  **radio** … and he sped down the road. He promised me, “This is what will happen if you dare to break anything else”... and he hit an innocent eight year old girl who had just been crossing the street with her older brother. I was screaming as they went flying, and I tried to hit the breaks, but he shoved me aside. I was too shocked to cry… just breathing…”

Three deaths breath were inhaled, and three deep breaths were exhaled, and then one deep, shaky voice spoke.

“... Did you… or did you not… spend four years in the Abaddon?” Craig questioned the witness of his sister’s death. “... Did you… or did you not… die on the same day as your Father by the hands of a psychopath?”

Two pairs of brown eyes stared into each other as the owner of one pair answered the questions of the owner of the other pair.

“... My Father planned to escape the country when people slowly started to forget about the incident. I had to go with him. We we're going to take a plane to the U.S.A., but… when we were in the lobby, ready to go through security, when a familiar boy approached us. He was thirteen years old… and he was carrying a knife. He lunged for my Father first, taking him to the ground before slicing his throat straight open. He couldn’t see straight. He stabbed me as well, puncturing a lung… and I  **did** die that day, but he had died long before me.” She explained, watching as Craig leaned back in his seat and a couple of tears fell. His nose was also running, but he kept wiping at it with his tie-dye hoodie. “... He was no psychopath. He was just a vengeful boy, blinded with grief.”

There was a long pause, and then Craig spoke.

“... I’m so sorry…” He apologized, scrunching up his hands as he stared at them, curled together on the tabletop. A very pale and gentle hand rested overtop of them, and blonde hair swayed as she shook her head.

“ **I’m** sorry…” She countered in apology, giving him a gentle smile to try and lift his spirits. There was a bit of a pause again, but she finally answered his other question. “The day I died, I suddenly awoke in an unfamiliar place. I spent four years there… in the Abaddon… before I escaped.”

Craig wiped away his tears with one of his hands, and Marcel wrapped both of his hands around Craig and Aloisia’s, still there and a part of the conversation.

“I remember someone there… but only her… and I don’t believe that she remembers me.” Aloisia told them, staring straight ahead, and Craig looked her dead in the eye to ask for a name.

Aloisia couldn’t help but smile a bit, a single tear falling from her right eye, and when she spoke, she got different reactions. Craig squeezed his free hand into a fist so tight that his palm started to bleed due to his nails digging into the skin, Marcel’s every muscle tensed because he thought of this as an outcome but had been hoping for something else, and Tyler let out a hiss because he could feel the conflicting emotions.

“We called her Fate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... there you go. Things are gonna be a little different in perspective, or something like that.
> 
> That's not even all of it behind Craig and Ms. Aloisia Cantre, oh, no it isn't. We haven't even gotten into Marcel yet, or TYLER!!
> 
> Also, what the fuck is the Abaddon? Taking a fucking guess, babes.
> 
> I need death. Or sleep. Sleep, most likely.


	30. It's October Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Ine's birthday, and time for the winter concert auditions.  
> We get a look into the Wrightson's again.  
> Fate knows some magic.  
> We get a small look into Adar's high school life.  
> And something has happened to the PTA...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God. Guess what I caught. ~Stomach flu~
> 
> Nonetheless, enjoy this chapter.

_ Some say the world will end in fire. Some say the world will end in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire But if it had to perish twice, I think I enough of hate to say that for destruction, ice is also great and would suffice. _

 

* * *

11:30 A.M., October 1st, 20ZS

“All hail King Ine!”

“ **Hail** !”

Ine blushed from the attention he was getting, but nonetheless picked out a red velvet cupcake with creamy white frosting and rainbow sprinkles alongside a surprise chocolate filling.

_ Toriel helped me with that. _ Fate noted before passing the cupcakes around her friend group.

Most of them had gotten to the auditorium early, so it was just most of their group and they all knew it was Ine’s birthday, in which Fate had come prepared with birthday cupcakes that she made. With help from Toriel, as stated. The cupcakes were passed around in order of whoever’s birthday was next, and same so on down the line. Ine got first pick, then Akina, and then Bailey. Melina, Jasmine, Isabella, Amber, Jericho, Aiden, Frisk, Maggie, Fate, Chandler, Danny, Chara, and then it returned to Fate because she had brought the container in, so she was responsible for returning it home. Lena and Leo came late, luckily just before Fate put the cupcakes away so they could each have one.

Then, after about fifteen minutes, the auditorium ended up packed for auditions, making many of them nervous under the pressure. Nonetheless, they would audition anyways.

 

* * *

8:10 P.M., October 5th, 20ZS

You come to learn that growing up in a town such as Ebott wasn’t easy. Unless you were someone new; everyone knew your name before you could say it, everyone knew your family before you could deny it, everyone knew who your friends we're before you could say them, and the worst part was that everyone knew your secrets before you even knew them yourself if they dared to dig deep enough.

And when it wasn’t the strangers trying to figure you out, it was your family. God forbid you don’t finish a paper on time, make your bed, or put away the dishes. God forbid you talk to someone they don’t like the social status of. God forbid trying to be yourself in such a controlled environment.

That’s just what life was, thought. Growing up in a big family, Grace was always expected to behave her best as her family apparently was already drawing enough attention to themselves. Her Father’s money “thankfully” was enough to keep the spotlight off of them. Still, she could never shake the feeling of unwanted eyes watching her and her family, or ears perking up whenever she or someone else decided to take a breath. But underneath the poster family allusion was just the average suburban family.

They were the Wrightson’s. They lived at the end of a nice cul-de-sac and were friends with all of their neighbours. Graham Wrightson was her Father and had an amazing job somewhere in the government, although Grace didn’t care to know where, and her Mother, Harriet Wrightson, always kept the house clean and the children organized when she wasn’t working the night shift as a nurse. The children consisted of Grace, her older brother Keith who was sixteen, her older sister Heather who was thirteen, and her younger sister, Layla, who was only three.

They were nowhere close to perfect.

“Grace, will you make sure Layla is in bed, please!?”

Grace was ripped from her daze, previously having a staring contest with one of the family portraits hanging from the wall in the living room. She hadn’t lost, but with the booming call of her Mother, she had no choice but to blink as she turned away. She sighed, clambering to her feet as her eyes made contact with Layla’s. She was in the corner of the room, practically hidden beneath a table as she played with a paper doll, and her bottom lip began to quiver as Grace approached, bending down to scoop her up into her arms.

“I know, Layla. When I was your age, I didn’t want to go to bed, either.” Grace sighed, starting to carry Layla up the stairs to her room. When Layla was placed in her bed, Grace turned on the night light and then closed the door behind her as she exited the room. “Goodnight, Layla.”

She got no response as she headed for her own room, ready to fall asleep early. It was better that than to stay up all night listening to her parents yelling…

 

* * *

7:05 A.M., October 8th, 20ZS

Chara woke up to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes before groaning because chocolate chip pancakes either meant awful news or a PTA meeting. Now that they thought about it, maybe awful news wouldn’t be so awful…

Nonetheless, they shot up when the smell had registered surely in their nostrils, rushing downstairs in a flash--and in their pajamas. Chocolate chip pancakes made from scratch were always amazing, but not so much when they were out of Nutella and chocolate syrup. Regular syrup would have to suffice… Chara was glad that they were still in their pajamas despite being the only one because they found out the hard way that the syrup bottle cap was broken, causing them to end up in a sticky mess. It didn’t really matter. They still downed their pancakes.

When they went upstairs to change, they returned to find their whole family sitting in an awkward silence in the living room as they waited for the proper time to leave. They always had an exact schedule. Chara sometimes found it annoying.

Then they noticed Fate shuffling some cards over the coffee table, so they sat down.

“What’re you doing?” Chara questioned although they kind of already knew what the child was doing.

It didn’t seem to matter as Fate lit up, smiling brightly as she passed the cards over to Chara for them to shuffle a bit. They noticed the small gap in her teeth through her smile and motioned to ask about it in the middle of shuffling. Fate only brightened more, opening her mouth wide to show Chara… that she had lost her left front tooth while they were getting changed, and they couldn’t help but notice her growing fangs. They gave her a smile in return.

“That’s so cool! I didn’t know that monsters could lose teeth!” They remarked, continuing to shuffle despite being distracted. “Y’know about the tooth fairy?”

_ Frisk told me. _ Fate assured Chara with a grin.  _ Ms. Toriel said to sterilize it first, though, so its in a plastic baggy in the freezer. I’m hoping to get a toonie! _

Chara returned the grin with an excited nod before passing the desk of cards back to the young girl. She looked at all of them, spreading them out in her tiny paws with a little bit of trouble--because they were tiny and she only had eight fingers--before placing two cards face-down on the table. Then, she asked Chara to split the deck and they did so. Their spit of the deck was kept and the other was put aside, and then Fate motioned for them to split the cards evenly. They did so. Then, they chose another one of the split decks, while Fate took the other.

_ For each card you put down, I’ll put one down. _ Fate explained, and they we're a little confused, but started putting cards down anyways.

Eventually, all the cards had been placed, and the last ones up were a red four and a black ten. Fate flipped over the cards from before to reveal none other than a red four and a black ten.

“Holy  **shit** \--teach me how to do that?” Chara asked, and Fate gave a nod, gathering all the cards together and shuffling over to sit beside their sibling.

_ Aaron taught me, he’s amazing at magic tricks! But, I can teach you how to do this one. It’s pretty easy when you practice! _

After all, they had time.

 

* * *

8:15 A.M., October 8th, 20ZS

“ _ Good morning, Willow Creek Elementary. I’m your principal, Mr. Sophoclaus, and it’s time for your morning announcements. _ ”

Fate was exceptionally nervous despite the same-as-usual announcements. Halloween baggies--which were actually fairly alright this year, with an actual variety--some other stuff, staff things, something about how if it’s raining, then no one can go out. Yada yada yada… Then came the awful dread that arrived with the winter concert announcements.

“ _ And now, it’s time to announce the winter concert soloists. Once again, like last year, we have the winners on paper slips in a jar that will be pulled and announced at random. _ ”

It was like a drum roll, except without the drums. Basically, it was awful for people with anxiety or impatience. The Kindergarten name slipped right past her ears and she felt a little guilty, but nonetheless, she listened closely as it moved on.

“ _ From Grade three, Judith Acerbi! _ ”

The young girl at the front of the class threw her fists into the air, cheering happily.

“ _ From Grade six, Jasmine Pickering! _ ”

Victorious screaming and yelling erupted from down the hall.

“ _ Form Grade one, Melina Binchdt! _ ”

A mixture of excited yells from the Grade one and two class alongside an enraged scream from the Grade five class sounded.

“ _ From Grade five, Chandler Rose! _ ”

A couple of small “whoo-hoo’s” erupted from the Grade five classroom.

“ _ From Grade two, Felix Bayer! _ ”

An angry screech and many of the same loud yells erupted from the Grade one and two classrooms once again.

“ _ From Grade four _ \--” Fate held her breath, all muscles apart of her and around her tensing for the results. “ _ Fate Dreemurr! _ ”

“ **Again** !?” Keisha questioned with a screech, but Fate ignored her as her trio of friends who were also her classmates gave her high-fives. She felt much better now that the weight was off her shoulders… 

“ _ And from Grade seven _ \--”

It was a wonder. Fate couldn’t remembering many Grade seven’s trying out…

“ _ Daniel Cameron! _ ”

Many people had just learned something. Danny’s first full name was Daniel, and  _ he auditioned for a solo spot _ ? Now that she looked back, Danny had stayed behind to talk to Ms. Cantre about something when the audition times ended. Had that been it? Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but feel excited for this winter concert. The last one was pretty good despite her breakdown, and she didn’t know that Danny did anything musical… unless the piano at his house was not exactly his Mother’s.

Well, shit… She wasn’t as observant as she would’ve liked.

 

* * *

“Remember to finish chapter twelve and answer the third section of it on the difference between and experiment and other forms of science investigation. This will be on the  **test** , which will covers chapter ten through twelve. It will be multiple choice with an essay section…”

Norman Sollers trailed off when he realized that many of his students we're not listening. As soon as the school bell rang and the dismissal of class began, it was as if the children turned off their ears to order.

“If you can’t manage to give someone homework during the class, do not attempt to give it afterwards. It will only fall on deaf ears…” He sighed before realizing that one student was still listening as they remained in their seat. Their hand moved rapidly across the page of their paper as they made sure that they had gotten every last note written down from the chalkboard at the front of the room. In a matter of moments, it was only him and that one student.

“... Adar, you can go. I don’t want you being late for your next class.” Norman told her, but she merely shrugged, continuing to write. She had taken a liking to science, it seemed, but he wasn’t too sure why.

“I have P.E. next. I hate P.E.” Adar told him simply as she started to pack up, reading over the next lines of notes to write down. “Ms. Murphy sucks, too.”

Norman smiled a bit, giving her a shrug as he took a seat in his chair, leaning back to relax before the next bell and the next round of uninterested students.

“Well, it’s your life, not mine.” He insisted, catching sight of a small grin from Adar before her expression went back to neutral.

He tried his best to be a cool teacher.

 

* * *

5:30 P.M., October 8th, 20ZS

Linda was not okay with this. Not.  **Fucking** . Okay. She sat in a chair in the library, waiting for the PTA meeting to start--but she  **wasn’t at the head of the table** . Why? Because of Henrik  **fucking** Sophoclaus. He hired some stupid new secretary that gave him a lovely idea.What idea would that be? He switched Linda out from head of the PTA to a Vice-President alongside Diana, while Helen was given a break and some other bitch was taking over her spot.  **Her** spot.

Nonetheless, whoever this “Brenda Florence” was, Linda already  **hated** her.

And apparently, Brenda Florence was some tall woman with long brown hair and simple dark brown eyes who had  **no right** to be in Linda’s place, but somehow was. Oh, Linda was going to  **snap her neck for fuck’s sake** \--

Then, Brenda looked over the table, sneering at every monster.

Linda decided to give her a chance, even if she was still pissed beyond belief.

“Good afternoon, everyone.” Brenda announced, bringing all of the attention to her as the meeting began. “I’m Brenda Lorence, and I’m the new PTA President for this year. I’ve already been given files that Mr. Sophoclaus put together for who attends, so don’t bother with introducing yourselves. Let’s just go over the list and get this through with, shall we?”

Many people muttered, some scared, some confused, some a little angry at how aggressive Brenda sounded. Many of them we're just uncomfortable, or concerned for the rage that was most likely than not building up in the skinny body of Linda Binchdt.

“Alright, let’s get this over with, then.”

 

* * *

6:30 P.M., October 8th, 20ZS

The clanging of silverware was all that could be heard that night in the Wrightson household. No one chose to speak. Grace leaned forward with her elbows on the table, her chin resting lazily in her right palm while her left hand wielded the small fork. She wasn’t even hungry, her appetite having gone away in the passing weeks. She flicked a lifeless piece of salad across her plate and watched it fall. Her Mother was watching her from across the table, one of her hands being used to feed herself while the other was holding a plate up to Layla. The three year old didn’t seem interested in eating much, either. In fact, neither did Keith or Heather.

“Eat up.” Harriet finally ordered, eyeing her four children, and Grace let out a low sigh.

“I’m not hungry.” She admitted softly. “May I be excused?”

“No, you can not.” Harriet responded a little angrily. “Not until you’ve cleaned your plate. I don’t waste away in the kitchen just so no one will eat!”

Grace rolled her eyes, dropping her fork and leaning back in her seat, done with the meal that had barely been touched. From beside her, Keith also pushed back his plate. Harriet let out a heavy sigh of annoyance at their actions, but didn’t say anything as she turned back to feeding Layla. She wasn’t interested in the food, thought, her tiny brown eyes frozen on her older pair of siblings. Grace stared back at her in absolute silence. On her other side, Heather cleared her throat, speaking up first after the awkward silence.

“So…” She addressed cautiously, slowly chewing a bit of her food. “Me and Ashley Bredan are going to be studying at her house tonight. That’s cool, right?”

“No, not cool.” Harriet suddenly informed right away, shaking her head, and Heather’s eyes widened.

“What?” She gasped in disbelief. “Why  **not** ?”

“Why do you think?” Harriet retorted, raising her hands in mock annoyance, scowling at her eldest daughter. “After Brittany McVaugh’s death, I don’t want any of you out of this house except between 7:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M., got it?”

“This is such  **bullshit** !” Heather spat, stomping her foot on the ground. “We’re under house arrest, just because some girl got herself killed for being vain?”

“Don’t say that!” Grace snapped. She had been in the same class as Brittany and sure, the girl was vain, but that didn’t mean she deserved to die or even got herself killed. “It wasn’t her fault!”

“Heather, take that back.” Harriet ordered sternly, but Heather only cried out, shaking her head.

“You’re just pissed off ‘cause you want to hang out with Lucas.” Grace scoffed, knowing about her older sister’s new boyfriend. Heather froze in her seat and turned her head to face her younger sister, her eyes narrowed into slits. Grace could tell that if it wasn’t for their parents being in the room, she’d be getting hit. She could see that it was taking everything in Heather’s power to remain sitting in her seat and not exploding.

“Lucas?” Graham questioned, finally raising his head from his food and focusing on his family. “Who is Lucas?”

“Heather’s new boyfriend.” Grace informed smugly, watching as Keith grinned smugly from her other side.

“Yah, I bet Heather wasn’t even going over to Ashley’s. She was just looking for a hookup with Binchdt!” Keith snickered, not leaving a moment as he continued. “Or a threesoe with both Bredan  **and** Binchdt!”

“Keith, watch your mouth!” Harriet scolded, and he only rolled his eyes in response.

“You two are such  **douchebags** !” Heather screamed at the two siblings of hers, hitting her fists on the table.

“ **Language** !” Harriet yelled at her eldest daughter.

Heather let out a loud groan and shoved back from the table, nearly knocking her seat over in the process. Grace could see the fire in her eyes as she sent one last icy glare back at her family around the table, and Grace merely smirked up at her, knowing that she wouldn’t try anything. She spun on her heels just then and went straight for the stairs, taking them two at a time as she stomped her way up. From Grace’s other side, Keith was chuckling into his iced tea.

It was just another night for the Wrightson family.


	31. Get Up, Get Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something happened three years ago, with none other than the Abaddon.  
> Some shopping goes on, and then it's Halloween. Halloween is never complete without cool costumes and scary plans.
> 
> Also, the usual has a name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't all that I hoped it to be, but!! At least I've gotten this done and pretty well-together, I think? I'm feeling a lot better, but some more rest and liquids are still a good idea. I should be better by Monday if not earlier, I hope.
> 
> P.S. - Any "we're" that seem like they're supposed to be "were", they probably are supposed to be. My computer is doing some autcorrect thing where "were" ends up correcting to "we're" and I don't always catch it, so heads up.
> 
> CAUTION:  
> This chapter contains verbal abuse, slight physical abuse, racism, lots of violence, a bit of gore, jokes about death, spooks and scares, threats, and a whole bunch of foul language.  
> This chapter also contains nine year old Harley Quinn, the eleven year old Wicked Witch of the West, and thirteen year old Barbie being childish with a creepy clown and an axe murderer.  
> You have been warned.

_ Unknown Date and Time, Perhaps Three Years Ago _

_ She was jolted awake by loud pounding against her cell bars, her response coming out incoherent as she shot up from her uncomfortable rest, afraid that something serious was going to happen. Then, suddenly, something bright yellow butchered her vision, but it didn’t feel harmful and that only made her much more confused. Pulling it away from her face, she examined it carefully with wide, curious eyes. _

_ It was a raincoat. A bright yellow raincoat that would cover her up. It looked brand new, and yet well-worn. _

_ “Put it on. It’s cold out.” The usual informed her, and her face scrunched up with confusion as she stared up at him, slowly getting onto her feet. What did “out” mean? Why give her something so noticeable? Why give her  _ **_anything at all_ ** _ that distinguished her from all the others? “Oh my  _ **_God_ ** _ , just  _ **_fucking_ ** _ put it on already and get your ass in gear!” _

_ She put on the comfy raincoat, feeling like more of a person despite who had given it to her, and began to button it up as she made her way out of her cell. He locked it behind her, and she expected the usual, but he merely waited for her to button it up all the way--even for her to enjoy the fact that the coat had big pockets and an even bigger hood--before grabbing a big bag she hadn’t noticed before and handing over a pair of yellow boots to match. _

_ “You can keep the coat after this, but these are  _ **_just for now_ ** _ , got it?” He questioned harshly, and she gave a frantic nod as she gently took them from him, slipping her frail, burned feet into the cool, oddly-materialed boots. “Come on.” _

_ He grabbed her left paw, frowning when she winced from her recently lost fingers, and started dragging her away… in a different direction. She wasn’t sure whether to be dreadful or grateful. Either way, she was both scared and excited to see what exactly they were going to be doing. _

 

* * *

1:48 P.M., October 24th, 20ZS

Shopping had turned into a strange event as of recently. Trying to ignore the odd and dirty looks alongside hushed whispers that were passed along was becoming a little harder. Humans were definitely assholes, even to other humans, but mostly to the newcomers on the surface.

Yes. Humans were most definitely assholes, and this cashier especially.

It had been hard a year ago for the Pickering family to go shopping when monsters we're still new to the surface, but now it was just getting ridiculous at the amount of looks they would get because they often came to the same damn grocery store all the time. This cashier had the nerve to wrinkle her nose in distaste when Adar pushed the cart up into the line, which morphed into a disgusted expression when she noticed that human family alongside her.

The cashier didn’t say so much as a greeting as she hurriedly scanned the items and started to bag them the moment they were placed onto the conveyor belt. By the end of it, Indigo had snatched the receipt from the cashier with barely restrained anger before flashing a smile.

“I’ll be sure to leave what I thought of your customer service! Have a  **wonderful** day!”

She was angrily shoving the groceries into the trunk of the car when Oscar caught her arm, sure that she had at least broken half of the egg carton they had picked up.

“Hey, don’t get mad over someone who doesn’t deserve it.” Oscar told her softly, in which she gave a frown and huffed angrily, letting him put away the rest of the bags.

“I feel like she deserved more than that, honestly.” Indigo admitted, watching as Oscar grinned and shut the trunk door.

“It wasn’t a battle worth fighting.” He assured her, and she took a deep breath before giving a small nod.

“Alright… but if someone does something to the kids, I’m going to punch a bitch.”

“Hey, you and me both.”

 

* * *

_ Unknown Time and Date, Perhaps Three Years Ago _

_ She hadn’t been outside in so long. The fresh air felt like poison and yet an antidote to her lungs, the rain feeling  _ **_godlike_ ** _ on her tiny form and sounding lovely through the hood of her raincoat… and the annoying shock collar around her neck that wouldn’t allow her more than ten feet away from the usual was fucking terrifying. Nonetheless, being outside again just… it made her want to scream and cry and run even though the shock collar was active all at once. _

_ But, despite all of that, she was merely there to accompany and assist the usual in a job of collecting a certain plant. What it was used for, she had no idea. The  _ **_real_ ** _ odd thing, the oddest upon oddest, was that when she ended up in this hell two years ago, she had blacked out upon being thrown into a river and woken up there. And now, as she took a look back, they had exited a cabin in some sort of forest. It was a dark cabin, befitting of them, but she was still hopelessly and utterly confused. It didn’t really matter… did it? _

_ She supposed not, keeping up with usual as she helped pick any plants that he told her to. It seemed like she was doing most of the work, and he was just standing there, watching or waiting for something to happen. Or, perhaps, someone to appear. They had outside ties, after all, that was no secret to her. But, honestly, who could find them in the middle of some old, seemingly dying forest without-- _

_ Some sort of voice. Gruff. Masculine. Unfamiliar. _

_ Almost immediately, the usual grabbed onto her wrist harshly, causing her to whine a bit from the pain, and pushed back a little bit until he let out, sending her stumbling straight into a pine tree. Her back smashed and scraped against the tree’s trunk and she barely caught herself, her legs trembling as she heard another voice and he, quite literally, chucked the big bag over in her direction, nearly hitting her with it. _

_ Raspy. Strong. Feminine. Unfamiliar. _

_ “... Wh-What’s going on…?” She asked, her voice hushed and panicked, but he merely shushed her, snapping out his paw as if he would hit her for making anymore sound. _

_ She snapped her head up nonetheless, nearly squeaking under the tall figures of two monsters unlike them. One was a feminine alligator wearing warm clothes and carrying an deathly sharp sword with her, a scowl expressing her emotions while her face remained otherwise neutral. The other was a masculine dog wearing weird clothes as if they lived in a prestigious garbage dump, talking about something that he wasn’t very interested in and neither was she, or so it seemed. He carried what she had come to know as a “morning star”, specifically a very sharp-looking main part of it, causing her to swallow uncomfortably. _

_ She kept behind the usual with her back still pressed flush against the tree trunk, utterly confused and completely terrified. He was the one who always hurt her, never saving her, but now he was trying to protect her from something that was most likely coming straight for them, and that something were two terrifying… somethings. Watching him carefully take off to keep those two from getting anywhere close to her and she merely backed up into the mass of crooked trees a little more, pulling at her hood anxiously. _

_ “Who, or what, is  _ **_that_ ** _?” The alligator suddenly questioned, her voice calm yet raspy as she motioned over the usual’s shoulder to the young one. She gulped, fiddling with the buttons on her coat and keeping her gaze down at the ground. _

_ “Just a pet, nothin’ for you to be all suspicious about, Jecque.” The usual responded as he shifted his weight on his feet, and she grimaced at being dismissed as “just a pet”, but knew it was better than telling the truth or anywhere close. _

_ “... Mind if Aspar and I take a look at her SOUL, then? Since it’s  _ **_nothing_ ** _ …” _

_ Jecque brushed past the usual discourteously and roughly, marching towards the trees where the young one was being still and sweating from the fear of having  _ **_anyone_ ** _ even  _ **_look_ ** _ at her SOUL. She backed up a bit more and held her breath, having no significant amount of strength that would outmatch an alligator or a dog. _

_ Suddenly, the usual was in front of her, eyes blazing and knife pointed directly towards Jesque. _

_ “That’s none of your damn business,  _ **_bitch_ ** _.” He growled, causing the agitated… guards or whatever to growl back. The usual had a foreboding tone, one she knew of well, and it made her shiver despite it not being directed at her. “I think it’s time for you both to go.” _

_ “... Do you really want to fight us? We’ve never seen you even train; you probably couldn’t stand your own against a child like your so-called “pet”!” Aspar snapped. _

_ Before she could register it, a fight had broken out, and she had tried to move back only to trip of the bag full of supplies. While the usual toyed with Jesque, she hadn’t even realized how close Aspar had suddenly gotten to her hiding spot, no more than four feet away, and her entire body went stiff no the ground. She didn’t move out of fear that he would hear her, as his eyesight was obviously quite bad by how he continuously sniffed the air, and she thanked whatever higher power there was that the rain was masking most scents right now. _

_ But then, they made eye contact. His eyes were dark brown and full of menace, cold and looking right at her. In that brief moment, she knew that her fate was sealed, and she couldn’t tear her sapphire blue eyes away. _

_ He wasted no time in grabbing her arm and yanking her out into the open, causing her to yelp and for the usual to freeze, his head along with Jesque’s whipping around to see what was happening. The usual’s eyes met hers and gave away every bit of his fear: something she had  _ **_never_ ** _ seen before and never thought she would. He didn’t care about her, she knew that, but he was fighting to keep the only piece of entertainment he had alive along with himself. There was also the fact of how useful she actually was despite him not daring to admit it. _

_ She then felt a familiar type of tug in her chest as her SOUL surfaced, illuminating the area with a white glow… alongside very tiny peaks of purple and green from cracks. When had those gotten there? Was… Was that normal…? _

_ “Well, damn!” Aspar squinted a bit before grinning like a maniac. “What a catch!” _

_ She closed her eyes, quite sure that this was the end for her due to the fact that someone so tall and strong had her little SOUL. He could crush it with ease. What was he waiting for…? _

_ Suddenly, she let out an audible gasp and fell to her knees, clutching at her chest despite there being no SOUL there. Moving her eyes but not her head, she could barely just see past her hood to see that Aspar was squeezing her SOUL, and no one had done that before, so here she was. She didn’t feel any pain, but definitely discomfort. Holy  _ **_fuck_ ** _ , was there such a discomfort… From the heavy breathing as she curled up from the assault on her SOUL, she felt her cheeks turning as red as her blood and didn’t even care about keeping her composure when it actually started to hurt, letting herself cry. Her SOUL was not released. _

_ Fuck her composure. She  _ **_hated_ ** _ this. _

_ So, she called for the only person who would keep her safe in this position--the usual. _

_ “J- _ **_Jackson_ ** _!” She croaked pathetically through her heavy sobbing, unable to even pretend to care about the fact that she had used his real name for once. She just wanted to get away, wanted this to stop, wanted her SOUL back and not being squeezed so much… _

_ She barely even called out to him and he was suddenly in front of her, a pair of paws being detached and going flying across the slight clearing, blood spraying on her cheeks. She tensed, nearly gagging, but couldn’t find much emotion besides being relieved that her SOUL had been returned to her unharmed. Aspar let out an ear-piercing howl and she merely wiped his blood from her cheek with her coat’s sleeve, allowing the usual to pull her up and hold onto her. It was so fucking awful to feel safe with him, but she really had no other choice. _

_ Neither of them did as he hoisted both her and the bag over each of his shoulders, taking off back to where they had come from before Jesque could even react and dare to fight longer. _

_ This was a disaster. _

 

* * *

7:20 P.M., October 31, 20ZS

Ine felt butterflies in his stomach. No, wait… that was a swarm of bees.

He and Akina had actually snuck out of their house for this whole Halloween thing, with Ine going as Finn from Adventure Time and Akina simply wearing a Jake sweater and a pair of jeans.

It was a damn good thing that their Mother was passed out and their Father was a sleepy drunk at the moment.

They walked for a good three miles before reaching a particular tree near a bus stop where the entire group of friends were going to meet for the night’s endeavors. There was a bench underneath it, so both he and Akina took a seat, waiting for the rest of their friends to show up because, for some reason, they were the first ones there. Spooky. Little by little, however, their friends started to show up.

Aiden and Melina had combined their Halloween costumes, where Aiden was the Big Bad Wolf and Melina was dressed in a Little Red Riding Hood costume with her hair simply down instead of up in some way like usual.

The Pickering’s arrived with outfits that corresponded to the Blake’s. Adar was greatly dressed as Flame Princess, Jasmine as Fiona despite her hair not being blonde--although, she did style it correctly--and the twins as Marceline and Princess Bubblegum. Lena was the Vampire Queen while Leo rocked the color pink very anxiously, yet proudly.

The Rose’s appeared at the bus stop nearby, rushing over excitedly in their costumes. Chandler was dressed very accurately as Newt Scamander from the Fantastic Beasts movie, besides the color of his hair and how curly his hair was, while Maggie was dressed very nicely and yet spooky as a type of Voodoo Doll, her hair up in pigtails and her face painted.

The Cameron’s came next, carefully getting off the bus and walking over to them, with Danny dressed as a Lunatic Cultist and Amber dressed as a Lunatic Devote, both from Terraria. The masks they wore were hard for them to see in, the robes hard for Amber to sign in, and the masks made it difficult for Danny to talk. While Danny’s mask also made it a little difficult for him to breathe, Amber had just enough room to breathe perfectly behind hers, which was a good thing.

The Morris’ came next off the bus alongside Fro and Isabella. Jericho was dressed snuggly as a less fat Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro, Bailey was dressed beautifully as the younger Sophie from the beginning of Howl’s Moving Castle, Isabella was dressed quite creepily as No Face from Spirited Away--her voice muffled from behind the mask and her taller-than-average height making it a little more legit--and then there was Fro, giddy about being dressed up in bright red as a Shy Guy from Mario--the mask unable to muffle her happy voice.

Then, last but not least, the Dreemurr’s arrived at the bus stop, making their three little feet over to the group of friends. Chara was just slightly recognizable by their rosey cheeks and brown-red eyes in their costume as Eleven from Stranger Things--and also recognized by their voice as they joked about how their wig was a bit too bright of a blonde, making her look like some sort of younger Linda, except much cuter. Frisk was quite unrecognizable despite their height and signing in their costume as Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas movie, their body even painted a light blue before being decorated with stitch-like paint.

And Fate was very well recognizable in her bright yellow raincoat, even with the hood up, and tiny sandals, since Toriel wouldn’t allow her outside without some sort of shoes. She was very happy to receive multiple high-fives from her friends over her costume as Six from Little Nightmares, although they were all dressed up greatly as well and deserved the high-fives much more than she did.

“Let’s trick-or-treat already! I want to shove free candy down my throat until I die.” Chara joked, and everyone laughed, but immediately agreed.

The big group headed off down one of the best streets to trick-or-treat in Ebott--or so Frisk had told them, and knowing Frisk and their ties, no one doubted that it was indeed the best street to trick-or-treat on in the entirety of Ebott.

Night fell over the town, casually draping its dark coat over it carefully and bathing the city with thousands of stars. Everyone greatly appreciated the clear, beautiful sky as it left the air feeling crisp and chilling as they exited their homes, all clad in their costumes. Many of the houses were decked out in impressive, scary decorations, everyone living along the block really having gone all out. It wasn’t like they had all night to decide which house was the safest to go up to, as it was a school night, so they just went up to each and every one. The chill of the night sunk into their bones as they shivered, but continued on happily until they reached the end of the cul-de-sac, having zigzagged down the block to get all the candy they could muster up. They sat on the bench between the cul-de-sac and the ravine ahead, the darkness making the trees at least twenty times scarier.

“... Do we, like… go home now?” Fro asked, still not accustomed to Halloween, and then Aiden suddenly scoffed--something he never did--and shook his head.

“No, we still need tons of candy. The night is still young, we should go around more!” Aiden suggested, and everyone nodded a bit before Akina took a stand, staring into the ravine behind them. They all followed her gaze, noticing the lit up houses on the other side. “ **No** , I refuse to go through there!”

Akina groaned.

“Y’all  **seriously** wanna back-track and waste time?” She questioned, gaining many groans and shaking heads in response before she nodded her head, pointing out into the ravine. “I walk through this ravine to get home from school a lot. There’s nothing dangerous except steep hills and a bit of garbage! We just stick together and take the path straight through--more candy on the horizon, my little friends.” She glanced at Jericho for a moment. “And one big friend.”

Everyone had to pause and think, staring through the ravine. It was an easy path to follow if Fate and Chandler went first, the young monster always having her lighter on her and the young boy always being cautious when it came to wandering around at night, so they ended up reluctantly agreeing, getting to their tiny feet. A chorus of “okay” rang into the air and they all formed their… well, full triangle of sorts, staying close to each other and small enough to remain on the path. Fate and Chandler took the lead with Akina, Maggie, Frisk and Chara right behind them, he triangle spreading out before they made their way into the dark ravine, guided by two young children with a little flame and a bright light.

Each of their heartbeats seemed to get louder with each step they took and their breaths constricted the deeper they got into the ravine, hearing the rushing water of an overflowed river and the rustling of the leaves as they danced in the wind. This was all too much, they decide in their young hearts and minds. This was too much and they were all going to die young.

At least they were going to die in the search of candy, huh?

 

* * *

Nine year old Harley Quinn, an eleven year old creepy clown, the eleven year old Wicked Witch of the West, a thirteen year old axe murderer, and thirteen year old Barbie all wandered through the cemetery outside the ravine. Cemeteries at night were actually very boring, somehow especially on Halloween, but they had the means to make it less so with their bottles of spray paint and silly string.

“This is fucking  **boring** .” Barbie--or more so, Ashley--groaned, throwing her last bottle of spray paint away due to the empty rattle of it. The others followed her lead quite quickly, but only because their bottles were out as well.

“I wish that I had a real axe…” The axe murderer--or more so, Lucas--complained, swinging around his plastic axe with ease. The creepy clown--Kyle--scoffed a bit, crossing his arms over his puffy chest as he spoke.

“Well, if we want some  **real** fun, why not head into the ravine and wait for stupid kids to come walking through? I’m sure some will.” He suggested with a shrug, sounding very bored and out of ideas, but Harley Quinn--Keisha--shook her head.

“I’m not going in there. I’d rather go vandalize some houses.” She suggested, gaining hums of agreement from nearly everyone. However, Lucas growled a bit, finding the ravine idea a good one.

“Come  **on** , Lucas. No one is stupid enough to go walking through a ravine on Halloween night.” The Wicked Witch of the West--Madison--laughed at him, causing him to scowl at her and she merely grinned back.

Until they saw some light from within the ravine, causing Lucas to give all of them a smug look.

“... Well,  **wannabes** ? Are you up for some scaring or do you want to hide behind eggs all night?”

* * *

The fear sat on them like a pillow over their mouths and noses. Enough air got by it, allowed their body to keep functioning, but it was crippling all the same. It was so much fun at the start, easy, but then they turned cold, the blood running from their faces. Many of them could hear the pulse banging in their ears and feel sweat dripping down their backs.

The walk through the ravine had been going fine. They were almost to the end and we're very happy, chatting quietly amongst themselves, and then all they could suddenly see was a pair of terrifying people--a creepy clown and an axe murderer. They couldn’t register the faces of whoever was wearing the costume, too fearful that they might actually end up being quite dead in the next few moments, and they each took a course of action. Some rushed away in the opposite direction, not making it very far as they were cut off by a young maniac with a baseball bat and a wicked witch, some collapsed to the ground either panicking or crying, some merely screamed, and one of them slipped down a steep indent in the path.

But the adrenaline flooded through each of their systems like it was on an intravenous drip, right into their blood at full pelt. They thought their hearts would explode and all their eyes were either wide or shut closed tightly, their bodies either wanting to run fast for the hills or work to find weaponry, but they all eventually froze, staying right where they were. There was no way that any of them could quell the hammering in their chests and their adrenaline surged so fast that they almost vomited--one of them actually did--and they all eventually just ended up pathetically on the ground except for one of them that had fallen down the hill to the right of all of them.

The five attackers stared at all of their victims, laughing and celebrating their victory as scaring them all so badly to the point where they could barely breathe. Removing their masks and hats, and grabbing the flashlight that Chandler had dropped, they revealed themselves and only laughed from the yelling.

Until all of them realized that one of them had indeed fallen down the hill, saved from falling into the river by the rose bushes, but caught on all the thorns.

“I’m okay!” Jericho called up with a wince, squirming a bit only for a bush branch to snap and for him to fall further. All of them leaned over the edge, calling down to him, and trying to figure out how exactly to help him.

The river wasn’t exactly forgiving tonight.

“The broken tree branch!” Chandler spat out, still rubbing Amber’s back alongside Danny to help her out of her still quite anxious state, and a couple of them went over to grab and the big, broken tree branch from the other side of the path, all of them taking a part of it as they shifted it down the steep hill from Joshua to grab onto. “Grab on!”

With everyone taking part, because no one really wanted a death, especially on Halloween night, they managed to get the branch down to Jericho. The only problem was the fact that his arms were still stuck in the bushes and he couldn’t get them free, so they needed someone small to go down and help him get free. Being the smallest, Fate very carefully slid down the hill with a tight hold on the branch, helping Jericho free his arms so he could grab onto the branch. She climbed back up before everyone started pulling, and after a couple of minutes, Jericho was back up onto the path, thorns all in his costume and luckily not in his skin.

“... Good thing I dressed as Totoro and not some princess bride.” Jericho joked as Joshua began removing thorns from his costume, causing a couple of them to giggle a bit while others yelled at the group who got them into this situation in the first place.

It was Halloween night, so they weren’t sure what exactly they had been expecting, but it wasn’t this.

What they were expecting was a lot more candy, however, so off they went into their two separate groups again.

 

* * *

_ Unknown Time and Date, Perhaps Three Years Ago _

_ “... Why did you do  _ **_that_ ** _ …?” She questioned, unsure whether to be grateful or hate him all over again as they walked back to her cell. Back inside, back away from the air, back to the suffocating clutches of death. The usual seemed devoid of feeling as he chuckled dryly. _

_ “Dollface, you know nothing.” He responded a little snappily. “He would’ve told others about you. The little, plump, weak pet with a pretty damaged SOUL. You’d be  _ **_dinner_ ** _.” _

_ She bit the inside of her cheek uncomfortably and fixed her gaze on the ground before stopping outside her cell, waiting for him to open the door and throw her in and just leave her alone. Instead, he held her cheek with uncharacteristic tenderness. _

_ “That’s how the world works around her, kid. They survive because they kiss ass, and I survive because I do what had to be done.” He explained with a small scowl. “And if you want to keep surviving, then you’ll continue to do what you always do-- _ **_be a good pet_ ** _.” _

_ She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks when she shoved his cold hand away, grabbing at her arm tightly before he suddenly grabbed her by the jaw, causing her to wince. _

_ “Quit your bitching.” He growled, obviously displeased with how she was reacting. “The world wasn’t made with delicate sensibilities in mind.” He pulled her closer by the waist. “And  _ **_don’t think_ ** _ that I’m letting you off easy for calling me by my name back there when you we're squirmin pathetically on the ground over that  _ **_shit_ ** _. Letting him touch your SOUL like you’re some fucking common whore. Now shut the fuck up and get in your damn cell.” _

_ She had no energy to argue with him, so she simply complied, going to her usual corner and sitting down after stepping out of her boots. Then, something small and metal was tossed to her, bouncing a couple of times, and she just barely recognized it as it bumped into one of her little feet. _

_ “... Happy birthday. Perhaps set yourself on fire.” He said simply before locking her cell and walking away. _

_ She knew that it was his odd way of showing affection. She didn’t know why, but nonetheless, she very carefully picked the small metal square up as she wiiped her tears on her new jacket’s sleeve. It made her feel a little better…  _

_ A lighter, just like she thought. _

_ Using her wits alone, she had to survive the awful things around her, and with only her cunning to comfort her, she could slowly make a plan to finally get out. It would take a while, perhaps many more years, but she could get through it. She had started out in here as innocent as could be, but ever since the first year had passed by, she had been committing to more and more… morally questioning acts. _

_ But all she would do for now was look at the little flame she held control over, and hum the song they had all learned from the terrifying head of this world. They were the speechless, after all. Why were they so much smaller than the others? How long had this place existed? Who built it?  _ **_Why_ ** _ did they build it? What was it for? How big was it, exactly? Answers were refused to be known by most… _

_ Nonetheless, she started humming gently, barely even hearing herself. _

_ She had some thinking to do. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Abaddon just gets more and more... Abaddon-esque. It also gets more association because now, you get to think about the usual, aka Jackson. There are more threats to come. Also, who knows what happened to Jesque and Aspar--I mean, after Aspar lost his hands, that is. The real question is--how does the usual move so fast and get around so easily? And really, once again, what's with all the interest in Fate?
> 
> Stay tuned, y'all!


	32. Something Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The SOUL is an odd thing. Minds and bodies are two other very different things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugggggggggggggh I'm almost over being sick but for now enjoy this shitty chapter haha

_ Long ago, two races ruled over Earth:  _ **_HUMANS_ ** _ and  _ **_MONSTERS_ ** _. _ _   
_ _ One day, war broke out between the two races. _ _   
_ _ After a long battle, the humans were victorious. _ _   
_ __ They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell.

_ Fleta Hackney, Dallen Clapham, Creighton Langdon, and Gail Emsworth-- _ **_Patience_ ** _ ,  _ **_Integrity_ ** _ ,  _ **_Bravery_ ** _ , and  _ **_Perseverance_ ** _ \--had their own reasons for out-voting Mirth Winchester, Elden Bradford, and Paxton Bradley-- _ **_Determination_ ** _ ,  _ **_Justice_ ** _ , and  _ **_Kindness_ ** _ \--on sealing the monsters underground. _

_ Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster, just to equal the power of a single human SOUL. _

 

* * *

7:12 A.M., November 20th, 20ZS

It was unusually cold in Ebott that morning. When Fate opened her eyes, she could have almost convinced herself that she was living in Alaska-- **almost** . Instead, she stuck to routine instead of daydreaming, knowing that she would lose herself in a trance if she even dared to start thinking of anything but school.

She smoothed down as much of her fur as possible, stood up, and straightened out her top, deciding that she looked presentable enough for school before going downstairs. As per usual, the Dreemurr’s were sitting around the dining room table for breakfast, and so Fate joined them.

But there was something a little off about today.

“Did you sleep okay, my child?” Toriel greeted with a calm smile, and Fate smiled brightly in return, giving an ecstatic nod. She then glanced outside and wrinkled her nose a bit at the amount of empty trees.

She loved autumn, with all the colorful leaves littering the ground and the breeze somewhere between burning and freezing, but she hated dead trees. The forest never died, though. It remained in bloom with pines and other trees of the sort. That’s why she liked forests.

But still. There was something a little off about today.

 

* * *

7:30 A.M., November 20th, 20ZS

“ **Ouch, that’s hot** !”

Jasmine tossed the Eggo waffle to the nearest plate, shaking her hand lightly to cool off the sizzle she felt in her fingertips. Adar stood next to her, watching as she pulled out several more waffles from the toaster before grabbing two of them and moving away. Putting butter own her own waffles, she took a small bite and moved towards the dining table, taking a seat across from the twins who were, once again, doing each other’s waffles with just enough sugary goodness to send the children in Africa flying across the ocean.

Wait, was that racist?

In any case, no one wanted to go to school today. Not because they were all in different grades or because Adar was in high school now, but because of one thing: two of the teachers were sick and would be replaced by substitutes today. Having a friend who had many ties and a cell phone to message them--totally not Frisk, haha--they knew about it.

And God, Jasmine did  **not** want to deal with a substitute… Would they be nice like Ms. Carpenter or deadly like Linda? She remembered having her tangle toy taken away that one day, which was a disaster, but she had managed somehow. How was Linda a teacher anyways, nonetheless a Mother?

Black magic. Must be.

 

* * *

_ But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death. If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL. A monster with a human SOUL... a horrible beast with unfathomable power. _

_ The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the humans feared. _

_ This power has no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's SOUL. When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster. _

_ There is only one exception. The SOUL of a special species of monster called a "Boss Monster". A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death, if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this SOUL. But this has never happened. _

 

* * *

10:50 A.M., November 20th, 20ZS

Well, this was shitty. If only Fate knew that she was going to have an awful substitute today, she would’ve just stayed home. But  **no** . Instead, she was being overstimulated with the scent of hand sanitizer and plain black coffee, making for an uncomfortable experience in the classroom. For those with sensory processing issues or just strong senses in general, it was a little more than just an uncomfortable experience.

Yes, Mr. Derek Barnes was an awful substitute teacher to have, but there was ten minutes before lunch, so everyone felt like they could at least breathe without getting into trouble.

Until someone dropped their pencil case and everything scattered everywhere, and everyone turned to see the horrified, ready-to-breakdown expression of Amber Cameron. She couldn’t even move from her spot, reaching out to stop her pencil case from falling even though it already had, and staring at the mess beneath her. All of them watched in terror as Mr. Barnes locked his sights on the young girl, ready to have the worst anxiety attack of her life, and got to his feet, speaking in his booming, angry voice.

“Amber Cameron, what did I say about not making any noise?” He questioned angrily. It’s not like he would understand her response, given as he didn’t understand sign language and she couldn’t speak in any other way. She was already breathing hysterically, tears welling into her eyes…

Then, three kids got down onto their hands and knees, starting to gather her scattered supplies. Destiny went to the right, Aaron went to the left, and Fate went forward, not caring that she was in the path of Mr. Barnes’ rage towards four of the most anxious students in the class.

And everyone was absolutely fucking terrified for them.

“Take your seats.” Mr. Barnes commanded almost immediately, but three seats remained empty. “ **Take your seats** !” Everyone flinched under his voice, but no one dared to move otherwise or say anything. “You--”

“Dude, shut up, we get it.” Flowey suddenly snapped from Fate’s desk, having been quiet much like the others throughout the entire class. He didn’t lift his hard gaze from the book Fate had been reading and left open, but his words still carried. He barely ever spoke in class, actually, unless he was translating for Fate at times. Many of them forgot he was there every day, but in this moment, they definitely recognized him.

Mr. Barnes nearly hissed, it was obvious, but merely took slow, heavy steps towards the small figure picking up colored highlighters they knew as Fate. She looked up briefly, and then returned to picking up the supplies. Amber was still shaking in her seat, pulling at her sleeves so harshly that one might’ve thought they would rip. He spoke in a low, hardened voice to her.

“Get your  **plant** under control and go back to your seat.” He ordered, but Fate didn’t make any out of place movements for someone who was picking up pens off the floor. It was quite obvious to all of the children that Mr. Barnes wasn’t exactly a monster activist. “Ms. Dreemurr,  **return to your seat** !”

They also knew that Fate didn’t take orders from anyone she didn’t feel like taking orders from, whether they were on a good page with her or not.

Judith and Jaylynne got down on their hands and knees, starting to clean up the few things that had made it to their side of the classroom. Keisha had even leaned over and picked up an eraser, handing it to her best friend to be brought back to Amber. When all the supplies had been returned, and Mr. Barnes was boiling over with rage, everyone finally returned back to their seats, returning to whatever they had been doing as if nothing had happened.

“ **Dreemurr** !” Mr. Barnes finally snapped, yelling, and everyone jumped, including Fate. She merely raised her head from her book, however, and gave quite the innocent glare. Could one glare innocently? Well, Fate had just done it.

_ Yes, Mr. Barnes? _ She signed, knowing that he wouldn’t understand her, and that only made him all the more angry with her.

So he grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, and screamed in her face.

“I  **knew** I shouldn’t have even dared to teach a class hear, even just for one  **damn** day!” He screamed before looking out at the class, everyone shrinking into their seats with wide eyes. How could they not? Their angry teacher was screaming and one of their classmates was dangling high off the ground by the collar of her shirt, trying desperately to get free. “You  **damned monsters** are ruining everything--the education system, Ebott,  **everything** !”

Fate was dropped, trying to soften her heavy fall with her arms, but all that came was a crack. Honestly, Keisha should’ve felt happy because the girl who broke her arm was now suffering the same as she had, but she only felt sympathetic. Sympathetic and fearful, and shivers ran down their spines from the mere whimper that came from Fate. She should’ve been screaming, but she was dealing with this as if she’d rather it be her than any of them.

Something shifted in Adianna. She should’ve been laughing because she hated this little girl with a burning passion, but she only felt awful for what was happening.

Everyone stared at the scene in horror. Some children were crying, including Amber who seemed more fearful than anxious anymore.

“Anyone  **else** care to defy me?” Mr. Barnes snapped, and the lunch bell rang. No one moved.

And then Aaron stood up, causing everyone to gape at him. He was always so anxious and jittery, but he looked so angry.

“You’re a  **terrible person** and a  **horrible teacher** !” Aaron yelled, causing everyone to gasp at his loud voice. He was always quiet.

“No one likes you!” Jaylynne suddenly yelled, being another kind of quiet kid in their class, and everyone continued to gape and gasp.

Especially when Destiny stood up, and not because of the reasons you might think, but because of his family. If his parents heard about him being defiant in class, only God knows what they would do to him.

“Take a seat for yourself,  **Derek** !” Destiny nearly commanded on his own, getting people to smile. Amber suddenly stood up, causing everyone to gasp again.

_ You can’t go around hurting kids, and since I know that you don’t know what I’m saying: You’re an asshole! _ She signed, albeit her expression didn’t match her signing, but that was fine. Everyone was laughing now.

“The shame of my old Pokemon cards is nothing compared to the shame of having you as a teacher!” Keisha suddenly yelled, taking a stand, and everyone didn’t know whether to believe it or not. Her, standing up? Her,  **having a Pokemon card collection,** **_wait, what_ ** \--

Nonetheless, all of the kids we're cheering, starting to dig into their lunch packs and toss whatever they could at Mr. Barnes. They didn’t care that he was angry or that they could get in trouble.

They just threw and threw and threw…

 

* * *

_ The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without mercy. _

_ In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust. _

_ Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave. _

_ There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULs, attacks the barrier, it will be destroyed. _

 

* * *

7:30 P.M., November 20th, 20ZS

Fate’s face fell at the sight of the white, fresh cast wrapped around her skinny right arm, her fingers curling at the discomfort it brought her, and she wrinkled her nose.

“... Toriel…?” She asked softly, her voice crackly from lack of use.

She had been silent all day, including during the examination at the hospital. She had questions for the doctors, but she knew that the adults would pay no attention to her. To them, she was as clueless as an infant. She didn’t bother to fight them. She had done enough fighting for today.

Toriel looked away from the road and over to the young girl.

“Yes?” She questioned calmly, even though Fate knew she was still angry and worried over what had happened. Fate was unsure of what happened to Mr. Barnes, but their class had been dismissed for the entire rest of the day.

“I’m sorry…” Fate apologized lightly, her throat tightening as she kept her gaze on the dark road ahead of them, illuminated only by the car’s headlights and the streetlights every so often.

She could hear Toriel inhale deeply. It was not a disappointed sigh, but merely meant that she had nothing else to say. Fate knew that Toriel wasn’t angry, but couldn’t ignore the need to apologize to her.

The rest of the ride back home was spent in silence. Fate didn’t mind. It allowed her mind to wander. They pulled into the driveway within the next fifteen minutes, the double-story house lit up with light, and she could see the silhouette of a body from behind the white curtains that covered the living room window. Walking through the front door only moments later, she came to confirm her suspicion that it was none other than Asgore.

“Where have you both been?” He wondered as they came in, and Toriel dropped her purse on the kitchen’s island with a sigh.

“Sorry.” She apologized with her best tired smile. “The waiting room was backed up to over an hour’s wait.”

Fate didn’t listen in any longer, starting to make her way down into the basement where Frisk and Chara often played board games or video games for hours on end before bed, if dinner wasn’t before then or they weren’t watching cartoons. She could tell as she walked past that Asgore was eyeing her new cast, probably imagining the hospital bill that would come in the mail. Nonetheless, she took the stairs down to the basement slowly, seeing that Chara and Frisk were trying to fix up a three hundred piece puzzle. Moving further into the basement, she merely took a seat beside Frisk, who gave her a happy smile to welcome her back.

From across the table, Chara was already staring at her.

“Badass cast. Plain white instead of all pink and weird like Keisha’s.” Chara complimented with a goofy grin, and Fate gave a small smile, reaching into her pocket to retrieve a pen she was given from the hospital.

“Wanna sign it?” She asked softly, and Chara eagerly agreed, smiling wide to show their enthusiasm. Frisk bounced in excitement, offering to be next, and Fate didn’t really mind. Toriel had already signed it before they left the hospital, but the writing was small and cursive, so it was a little hard to read on the cast.

In any case, both siblings of hers signed the cast happily, and she was left with three names and an otherwise boring cast. Her arm didn’t ache like the doctor’s said it would, and not because she had some painkillers working in her body. They would’ve worn off by now. She just… couldn’t feel pain very well anymore. A broken arm was nothing compared to getting two of your fingers chopped off, she supposed.

 

* * *

7:01 A.M., November 21st, 20ZS

The following morning began just like any other day.

The kitchen was a bustling mess of five bodies trying to navigate the small room in a rush to get to their rightful places such as school and work. Fate was the last one down the stairs, still struggling with how to put on clothes with such a giant cast ruining her shirt sleeves whenever she attempted to put them on. With no other choice, she had forced on a dark gray t-shirt despite the cold November air alongside a pair of dark blue jeans, the cuffs of them decorated in sharpie-drawn stars because of an anxious habit of hers.

Toriel was the first to point it out.

“Fate.” She called, letting out an exasperated sigh. “If you’re wearing that, don’t forget a coat.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Fate responded softly, making her way over to the kitchen table and placing Flowey down beside her plate. She hated that the cast and her two missing fingers prevented her from signing because they made both of her paws… illegible, in a way. The damned bulk only ran up half of her arm, for God’s sake, and didn’t even constrict her elbow--which she was grateful for--but it was still causing her trouble left and right.

Toriel dropped down a large spoonful of eggs onto Fate’s plate and she smiled gratefully up at the goat Mother before digging in.

“Aren’t you going to freeze?” Chara asked, eyeing her top, and she rolled her eyes a bit.

“Aren’t you going to melt?” She asked with a snicker, eyeing the two sweaters her sibling currently wore.

Frisk let out a chuckle, not looking at either of them because they were too focused on pouring an unhealthy amount of syrup onto their eggs. Fate wrinkled her nose a bit, but kept to her own business. To each their own.

 

* * *

 

 

7:55 A.M., November 21st, 20ZS

Fate was aware of the numerous eyes that followed her figure, or more importantly, the new cast on her tiny arm. Everyone in the school knew what had happened, but the story changed every time. Sometimes, she wished the theories we're true. They were sometimes cooler than what had actually happened. She didn’t care to correct them, though. Let it be known that she, Fate Dreemurr, was a daredevil--even if she wasn’t.

She slipped into the classroom at the end of the hall, her eyes immediately taking in the normalcy of Ms. Cotler’s room and a wave of comfort washed over her when she spotted Ms. Cotler herself sitting at the desk in the front. Thank God.

“See, I told you!” Keisha suddenly snapped at someone.

Fate found herself being approached by more than one person asking if they could sign her arm. Judith, Destiny, Amber, Aaron, Shavon, Jaylynne, and to her deep, unnerved surprise, both Keisha and Adianna. They all took up one clump of her cast, but she didn’t really mind. The more names, the better. It was more of a book of names instead of a cast that way. Ms. Cotler even signed it, apologizing for what had happened, but Fate didn’t really mind.

She ran into danger all of the time now, it seemed.

As Destiny signed her cast, however, he also handed her a piece of baggy clothing with a tiny, sticky bow on it, giving her a goofy grin.

“I missed your birthday.” He explained as she carefully took it, examining the flannel pattern. It was just that: a baggy, long-sleeved, red and black flannel with a small hood. “It’s just one of a mine, so it’s super dumb, but I figured baggy clothing would be a good thing for your cast. Plus, it’ll keep you warm and it’s also somehow thin enough for the summer--one of my favorite kinds of flannels. All yours, no need to return it. Happy belated birthday, and a “feel better soon” gift.”

Almighty lord was he goofy, and made her feel better. She felt much better wearing some old, baggy flannel that smelt of warm milk and honey than wearing a big winter coat that smelt of sitting in the aisles of Walmart for a good month. She had thanked him when the lunch bell rang without incident, and he gave another goofy smile before running off to go and find Cass.

Needless to say, the day was full of questions and people touching her arm to sign her cast. Uncomfortable, but not necessarily unwelcomed.

Perhaps the discomfort was just an odd feeling in her SOUL.

 

* * *

_ Is being a wizard something that someone is born with, or something that is earned? What did their SOULs have to do with them being wizards? _

_ The answer to both of those questions is simple-- _ **_watch and see_ ** _. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Sometimes things can shift in the SOUL, but not in the mind and body, and vice versa, etc.
> 
> Fun Fact No. 2: There's a reason why Undertale lore is suddenly appearing. You don't think that this is an Undertale story simply for the characters and aspects, do you? Because if you do, you're wrong!


	33. Telekinesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate had stronger magic than you think.
> 
> Also, here comes Dr. Tukker swooping in again. Yeet!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2467 words of telekinetic shit because Halloween happening and then being over haa drained my inspiration.
> 
> Enjoy yourselves, now.

_ Between certain ages, monsters will start to develop their magic. You may see hints of it throughout the first little bit, or maybe they can use a type of magic and are having trouble with a different one. There’s no limit to the amount of magic one can learn, except humans, of course. Mages are hard to find these days, having died off in ancient times… _

_ But there are some, if you look close enough. _

 

* * *

_ Unknown Time and Date, Perhaps Two Years Ago _

_ Static. That’s all she heard. _

_ Her muscles were frozen in place, but filled with such a tingling pressure that she wanted to run until her body was empty--put as much distance between herself and whatever she felt off about as possible. But all she saw was darkness with loose forms of color and she needed the world to come back into view before she could run. Hiding might be better, but she can’t. _

_ Instead, as soon as she could make everything out, she realized that her bare little feet were cold. Wet, actually, and the ground rippled with her every movement as if she was walking on water. _

_ And in the distance, barely just a figure as she approached them, was a boy of perhaps twelve years old. He was human, and sported pitch black hair with golden hazel brown eyes. He looked deathly pale at the moment, panting and sweating as if he was faced with the horrifying truth of something, and she knew that he couldn’t see her. Only hear her. _

_ But then again, she didn’t know this boy, so why would she make any sound? _

_ He disappeared into a cloud of smoke the moment she arrived at his side alongside the piercing sound of a gunshot, and she inhaled sharply, looking down at her little, damaged feet and the water below them. _

_ What even was this place? How did she get here? _

_ No one else was around, and she couldn’t help but feel scared as she fell to her knees, crying softly. The crying turned into sobbing at she simply sat, not caring that the water was getting her clothing wet. _

_ ➳ _

_ She woke up, pulling off the blindfold covering her eyes frantically. She hated these experiments the most--the ones focusing on her magic. Reaching up, she quickly wiped away her tears before feeling her nose starting to run, rubbing the snot and blood from straining herself away. This magic was too stressful on her little body, but it wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter. _

_ Lab rats never did. _

 

* * *

8:30 A.M., November 24th, 20ZS

“So, Fate, how was your summer?”

Fate sat in the usual leather chair across from Dr. Tukker, picking at the strings on her socks. Due to many different things, they hadn’t been able to talk since just before school got out for the summer, and he just managed to make room for her today, so she came in the moment he called. He was currently flipping through her journal to see where she was mentally.

“It was okay.” She managed to get out with a small sigh, trying to remember everything that had happened since their last appointment. “It started with a horrifying bake sale where I almost died because someone from the ABaddon crashed in, but Craig took care of him.”

“Craig, as in… Craig Khourey?” Dr. Tukker questioned, in which Fate nodded in response. “... What else?”

“I spent time with Asgore, I got a curfew of 7:30 P.M. due to Brittany McVaugh’s death, I went camping, and then my birthday was celebrated. It felt weird, but I got a kitten named Ebony who likes to chase my feet under the blanket at night.” Fate explained, not even batting an eyelash at the fact that she had summed up her entire summer without important details of how she had a breakdown or two.

“Well, that sounds nice.” Dr. Tukker said with a smile as he put her journal down, gazing at her broken arm. “What happened to your arm?”

“It’s broken.” Fate stated simply with a shrug, holding it up for him to see. “Some teacher who didn’t like me. He’s not a teacher anymore.”

Dr. Tukker paused before giving her a slow nod, writing something down before sitting up straight with a smile, motioning for the pen for the cast that she was fiddling with. She handed it over, placing her arm on his desk, and he quickly signed it before handing the pen back to her, giving her a bright smile.

“Get better soon.” He advised, and she gave a shrug, sighing ever so slightly.

“I’ll try…”

 

* * *

1:59 A.M., November 26th, 20ZS

Flipping through the pages of her book, Fate was still up at two in the morning. Music was blasting through her ears from her headphones as she lied in her bed with the blanket over her book and the lights turned off, her iPod lying to the side. Fate knew what was keeping her up and making it hard for her to sleep, but didn’t dare to think too deeply on it.

She stopped on a page where a familiar name of a character being introduced popped out at her, because she knew someone in real life with that name. A small smile pulled at her lips, knowing that it had been too long since she had seen that person, and she wanted to reach out, but wasn’t too sure how to do so. They could’ve been dead, after all.

Putting her book aside, finally, Fate closed her eyes to the beat of a  **Panic! At The Disco** song, hoping that the music would fill her head instead of the images clouding her mind.

When Fate opened her eyes next, she realized that the sun was shining through the blackout curtains. Nesting into her bed a bit, her head snapped to the clock on the side table, reading the time as 7:20 A.M. She had exactly ten minutes to get ready before she and her siblings would leave for school, or they would be late otherwise. If they were late, she was going to have a meltdown in the main office.

Today was going to be a shitty day, she could already tell.

 

* * *

3:30 P.M., November 26th, 20ZS

Being home alone with nothing to do after school sucked, but it was a thing that often happened once a month. Asgore had to do some gardening around the neighbourhood, Toriel wouldn’t be home until 4:30, Sans had taken Chara and Frisk along with Flowey to do whatever they did once a month, and she was left alone in the house. Well… besides Ebony, but the kitten was more interested in the leaves falling outside and taking naps on the windowsills instead of hanging around with some little girl who wasn’t sure what she liked to do besides eat, sleep, and chase feet. Even Gaster wouldn’t make an appearance, probably busy with something else at the moment--although she wasn’t sure as to  **what** he could possibly be doing.

So, Fate found herself tightly holding onto her three different necklaces, fingering them slowly as she took in the details through touch instead of sight. Even without the sunshine, and every luxury in the Abaddon, she wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her necklaces. They couldn’t be replaced, and she wouldn’t let them out of her sight.

Some people revelled in the sensory calm that isolation could bring, and the creativity it could bring to life, but for Fate, being alone was her worst nightmare. With nothing to do and no one to talk to, her deepest fears clawed at the base of her throat and buried themselves in her chest, quickening the gentle thud of her heart. You’d think that in such a place as the Abaddon, she would’ve gotten used to it, but the reality was that no one could just get used to their fears.

Boredom creeped up to her, so she decided to play with one of Chara’s favorite toys--a big replica of a starship that she could barely carry in her two little arms--putting it down in the middle of the living room and taking a seat on the couch. She had forgotten some things, escaping the Abaddon, but being a couple months over a year out of the hellhole, she felt relaxed enough to be able to remember.

With a dull headache and eight little tingling fingers, it was silent as she held her breath and focused on the ship. Nothing happened at first, as you would expect after a year of cold turkey, but then it shook ever so slightly, sliding a bit as it lifted. She let the breath go and the ship clattered, much to her frustration, so she tried again, keeping her breathing slow and deep this time. Her neck tensed, her paws tightening into fists, but she managed to lift the ship up to level with her eyes, feeling the warm drip of a nosebleed on her lips from the pressure of her magic--telekinesis, it was called, not that she cared.

Letting the ship clatter to the floor again, she wiped the blood running from her nose onto the sleeve of her favorite--and only--flannel before taking the ship back upstairs without a problem, coming back down the stairs after putting it right back in the spot she had taken it from. Coming down the stairs, she jutted her chin up sharply, turning on the TV because she wasn’t sure where the remote was, and she took a seat on the couch. It was on some old, stupid crime show, so she turned her head to the side sharply, changing the channels until she came upon a rerun of the pilot episode of Adventure Time.

Wiping her nosebleed away again, Asgore returned from gardening around the neighbourhood moments later with an oblivious smile.

“Ah, did you find the remote?” He questioned before making his way up the stairs, and Fate merely shrugged in response.

She didn’t want to know how anyone would react to her magic.

 

* * *

_ Unknown Time and Date, Perhaps Two Years Ago _

_ The cat was just plain mean, more scar than fur and his ears matted confetti, smelling worse than week-old garbage. He watched with lamp-like eyes, a ring of sea-green around the expanse of black, and wouldn’t stop hissing viciously. _

_ Fate couldn’t blame him, as that was life on the streets and in a cage. _

_ She loved rules. She did. They told her what boundaries needed breaking next. Say she can’t walk on the grass, she would break out a picnic. Say she can’t hop on a train and ride to Chicago, she would see you at the Navy Pier. Say she couldn’t kiss a girl, she would do one better. They couldn’t make a rule that she wouldn’t shatter anymore, if they made it from self important zeal and sealed it with the rubber stamp of their own ignorance. They had to give her a reason that made sense, and not just because a two thousand year old relic says so. _

_ And yet, she somehow still found herself here, sitting in the same old plastic chair, but with a different goal. _

_ They wanted her to kill this cat with her magic. _

_ The usual was watching from a seat in the room next door, and she could see past the glass unlike others, but he didn’t have to know that. His expression was one of being forced to endure an unpleasant odor, his gaze unwavering and unabashed, and those orange-brown eyes didn’t travel up to her face or down to her boots, but they we're on her as if really focusing on something. As she turned back to the mean, harmless cat, there was a discomfort in her chest and a feeling in her brain like excess caffeine. She felt the urge to run, to escape, to hide. Suddenly, her body wracked with raw sobs and she shook like a leaf, fright consuming every cell in her body and swelling them with terror--simply because she faced him and shook her head. _

_ She refused to kill for no good reason. For some  _ **_stupid experiment_ ** _. _

_ I imagine that you can feel the panic she felt when she was grabbed and dragged along, building like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of your stomach. You can’t concentrate on anything else that’s happening. The next step is your heart starting to beat harder and faster, adrenaline levels rising, and your brain starts to fire out negative thoughts like a machine gun. As sweat starts to happen, it feels like your skin has another hot skin on the outside, like a bin bag---it moves over your body and never releases. The negative thoughts keep coming like waves on rocks, and you start pacing or moving around irrationally. Screaming. The arguments in your head get so fast and so disturbing that your brain shuts down your sweat-covered body, and your heart feels like it’s going to explode. _

_ If you could watch her eyes, hear her voice, you would notice that there was something in her screaming--a pai behind it. The anger she had was nothing but a shield for pain, like a cornered soldier randomly throwing out grenades, scared for his life, lonely, desperate. Emotional pain has a biological purpose, to teach and to educate us away from unhealthy patterns and relationships, and in this moment, Fate had never felt so alone, so lost, so incapable of doing even the smallest tasks. _

_ But this was only the beginning. _

_ She wouldn’t let them close her cell door, not this time. When they threw her, she let her body hit the floor, but then she got right back up on her feet and dared to focus. Just focus--focus on that door  _ **_not_ ** _ closing, about these people  _ **_not_ ** _ holding her down. _

_ And the door nearly closed, but then she swung it open with all her might, sending the man closing it straight over the railing across, and down into the depths of the Abaddon. The other man was shocked and peered in to only see her bleeding nose before reaching out to close the cell door anyways, but she fought back immediately. He didn’t even get to touch the door before she jutted her head to the side, causing his head to swing right around and for his neck to break with a sickening  _ **crack** _. _

_ Then, she took a seat, both of her nostrils gushing blood and her head pounding, fuzzy, from the pressure it had been put through. Her cell door was open, and she wanted so badly to just leave… but how far would she even get…? _

_ Not very far, she reckoned. _

_ Not very far at all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fate has seen some shit, dudes. Wonder what troubles will arrive now that she's practicing her magic again...


	34. I Could Escape, But You'd Still Follow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's begun.
> 
> The last flashback to the Abaddon, the tying of threads, and the awareness of the gut feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at the notes below for an ANNOUNCEMENT!! Yep, that's right, an ANNOUNCEMENT!!
> 
> WARNING:  
> This chapter contains features of anxiety, blood, gore, violence, horrifying creatures that may or may not be demons, scientific telekinesis, an angry man, and a withering young adult who's doing the realizing for everyone around him.

12:55 P.M., November 30th, 20ZS

Fate sat in the bleachers between Frisk and Chara, more focused on doing her English homework that was due tomorrow than listening to whatever the whole school was assembled for instead of attending class like usual. Glancing upwards, Fate’s eyes narrowed at how shallowly solemn some of the teacher’s were--and how Linda was tapping away on her phone like she did before and after PTA meetings. According to Chandler, she did it in class as well. Fate closed her binder and let it sit in her lap with her pencil in between the covers, crossing her arms against her chest and focusing all of her attention on the principal as the “moment of silence” for Brittany McVaugh passed over them.

“Thank you for the moment of silence.” Mr. Sophoclaus thanked all of them, trying his best to look solemn, but Fate caught the hint of relief in his eyes. “We’re so sorry to the McVaugh family,  and to those of you who were close with Brittany, that it’s taken so long to hold this assembly. Things kept coming up, but we’re finally able to gather here for our fellow friend and student--Brittany McVaugh.”

Fate hadn’t even known Brittany before she passed on, and Mr. Sophoclaus probably hadn’t known her very well either, no matter what he tried to spout out and convince people with. He kept going on and on, saying things that made her wonder how people fell for them, and took up a whole hour and a half before letting all of the students ago.

Except for Fate, who had been making her way to the door, but then Mr. Sophoclaus stopped her.

“Sorry to bother you, Miss Dreemurr, but you’re wanted in the office.” He simply told her, and she had to follow him.

The office was still dull and boring, but had five new residents all of the sudden--Brian, Dacian, Craig, Marcel, and oddly enough, Ms. Cantre. She wasn’t sure what exactly she had done as Mr. Sophoclaus took off to walk the halls, but she had to admit that she was scared.

“... It’s a long story.” Brian simply told her with the gentlest smile he could manage, Craig opening the door to the closed-off Principal’s Office. “But we have time. Mrs. Dreemurr is aware, so you don’t have to worry about her freaking out if you’re not home on time. Dacian and I will drive you afterwards.”

Fate was unsure whether to prepare her mind or not for the story to come, as she was sure that she'd be sitting for awhile and listening to a lot.

 

* * *

2:55 P.M., November 30th, 20ZS

Her eyes were throbbing, sweat drenching the warmer parts of her body, ringing screams vibrating in her eyes, and her heart thumping against her chest. Her fingers curled into fists, claws digging into her palms. She couldn’t hear her rapid breathing, but she could feel the oxygen flooding in and out of her lungs. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling fear of all things after summing up the long story in her mind.

Ms. Cantre was from the Abaddon. Brittany McVaugh’s murderer was from the Abaddon, but in jail. Leonard Wright had been carrying files from the Abaddon around with him--some of  **her** files--and hid them in the last place he stayed. The FBI had found the files, but instead of being afraid of her like she felt they should have, they wanted her  **help** with something.

The picture of an unfamiliar man was pushed across the desk towards her, the radio was being turned to a station playing static, and a blindfold was being prepared.

“We need you to find this man.” Craig explained simply, tapping the photo.

Fate stared at it blankly, taking in the man’s features, and Marcel nodded to Brian to signify that the blindfold was prepared, in which he signalled for Dacian and Aloisia to close the curtains and lock the door. They did so, and then Brian placed a hand on Craig’s shoulder, in which the turquoise-dye-haired man tapped the photo once more before pushing it closer to Fate.

“I want you to listen to him. You can repeat it back to us or just listen, but please  **find him** . We need to know where he is.” Craig explained, making eye contact with her for a split second before she looked away again and gave a small nod. “... I know you can do it.”

With that, the room went silent and with permission, Marcel carefully tied a blindfold over Fate’s eyes to stimulate her other senses.

And then, she searched.

➳

Static. Just like every other time.

Her muscles were filled with that tingling pressure again, making her want to run, and she was cold despite wearing a fair couple lairs of clothing. The ground still rippled with every movement as if she was walking on water, the surroundings still pitch black with spots of color, and she immediately looked around to find the masculine voice ringing out through the void. She had found the man himself, but now she needed to find his whereabouts.

Walking slowly towards him, she picked at her cast anxiously, and he just kept on speaking. Some conversation having to do with pizza, perhaps he was going to order, but nonetheless, she wasn’t interested. She just waited… and waited for him to say something about his whereabouts. And when he finally gave it, she allowed him to turn into a cloud and drift away, repeating the address over and over again before taking a deep breath, allowing herself to relax.

That was quick. Perhaps she was doing much better with her magic than she realized.

➳

Removing the blindfold with a heavy pant and opening her eyes, Craig had written down the address and handed it over to Brian, the curtains being opened and the radio turned off quickly. Marcel took the blindfold from her and, like a Mother or something, wiped away the blood trailing from her nose with the fabric, causing her to cringe from how he was picking and rubbing to get every bit off. She could just wash her face later…

“Thank you.” Craig thanked her softly before getting to his feet to head off with Marcel, Ms. Cantre following behind them.

Dacian patted Fate’s back with a smile.

“Come on, kiddo. ‘Tis time for ye to go ‘um.”

 

* * *

_ Unknown Time and Date, About Four Years Ago _

_ She screamed. Loud. _

_ She clutched her paw, blood squirting past her fingers, and screamed again. She writhed against the wall, inhaling only to scream again, and again, and then sob. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t--all there was in this moment was him, and the blood pooling on the floor, and the sight of her bones jutting out between her fingertips. She inhaled a shuddering breath, sucking her bleeding lip into her mouth. _

_ She shifted, trying to find some fabric to cover her missing fingers, but such incredible pain lanced through her body that she collapsed to her knee and screamed to the floor, feeling her throat shred with the effort. There was so much blood on the floor, on her paws, dripping down her forehead. _

_ She was crying now, salty tears diluting saltier blood. She could hardly think. Her thoughts swirled around her, much like the floor, which was suddenly rising to meet her-- _

_ She passed out. _

__

* * *

__

_ The floor was freezing and hard, and she had no energy to rise up. She laid there, shivering, but not for long--a pair of feet had come shuffling in as soon as she made the slightest bit of sound. She choked on nothing. Nothing but herself, anyways, as her throat was so dry and she was inhaling faster than she was exhaling. _

_ She was then hastily hoisted up by someone grabbing a handful of the fur on her head, pulling her up and forcing her to meet face-to-face with them. It was none other than the usual. Of course, what did she expect? _

_ “Next time I ask you to do something, you’ll do it, right?” He questioned threateningly, and she swallowed as she squirmed from his painful grasp on her fur. “Next time, you won’t be losing anymore fingers, will you? It’s troublesome to decide which ones you can do without.” _

**_Oh_ ** _. She remembered now. It only made her much more upset, even if she did nod in response and allow him to drop her back into her corner. She did not like having her fingers gone. _

_ She did not like this place. _

 

* * *

_ Unknown Time and Date, About a Year Ago _

_ She woke up to her cell door opening, and then to the familiar footsteps of the usual. Sitting up in her bed--if she could even call it that because it had always been hard and uneven--she turned to face the usual, only for him to take a seat on the end of her resting place. She didn’t like how he was smiling. _

_ “Today is a very special day.” He told her excitedly, only unnerving her more, and then he reached out to poke her nose. She swallowed thickly, simply allowing him, because there wasn’t anything she could really do anyways. “Today… we make contact with Hazuszelon.” _

_ She didn’t know that name, but she had a bad feeling about it. Nonetheless, she got onto her little feet and had to follow him out, trying to prepare herself for whatever may come. There were too many people, too many eyes on her, but she stayed in her head and she sat in the dark room from before. _

_ Blindfold on. Eyes closed. Ears overrun with static. Mind open. _

_ ➳ _

_ Surrounding darkness, as per usual. Water under her bare little feet, as per usual. The tingling sensation in her fingers, as per usual. But there was ticking. They had put her on a timer, or she would have to say goodbye to her baby teeth. They wanted contact with whoever Hazuszelon was and they wanted it  _ **_now_ ** _. _

_ And then, she saw it. Something in the distance. As she quietly walked towards it, careful of her every movement, she began to find the details both intriguing and worrisome. It smelt like nothing on Earth, that was for sure, but it sounded like the scraping of a dog’s claws on concrete--if that dog weighed four hundred pounds, and gnashed and snarled. She reached out, cautiously, just to tap what she believed was its shoulder in order to actually make contact… _

_ It rose, a mass of tangled limbs, each one armor plated with a paralyzing goo seeping from black pores. It clicked its mandibles and followed her small frame with its enormous compound eye. Towering above her, as tall as the double decker buses she had only seen in pictures and knew the measurements of, it began to emit a series of squeaks and clicks. The rustling noises that came from all directions told her that  _ **_it was not alone_ ** _. _

_ There was a whole family out there, and they were closing in. _

_ She screamed. _

_ ➳ _

_ The alarm blared, rotating between about six different annoying noises of varying pitch and volume--just imagine a disco for the antichrist and there you have it. _

_ She had seen darkness before, the kind that made streets look like an old fashioned photograph, everything a shade of gray. This wasn’t like that. This was the darkness that, even when she removed her blindfold, it robbed her of her best sense and replaced it with a paralyzing fear. In this darkness she sat, muscles cramped and unable to move. She only knew that her eyes we're still there because she could feel herself blink, still instinctively moisturizing the organs she had no current use for. She couldn’t hear anything besides the alarm, either. She supposed that should bring her heart rate down below the level of “rabbit in a snare”, but it didn’t. _

_ By her genes, she was a predator. She had the front-facing eyes and brain enough to hunt, so being a predator it was. _

_ “Open.” She ordered simply, focusing all her magic towards where she just  _ **_knew_ ** _ the door was, and it flung open off the hinges as if someone had enough force to do so to it. The sudden light was bright, the kind of brightness that seared into your retinas, making you close them for fear of going blind; a brightness that would make fresh snow look gray and dull. _

_ But she still got onto her feet, and she still made her way out. That alarm and her magic were her saving graces, even if she had to snap a few necks to leave for good. _

_ The thing about emotional pain is that it has a biological purpose. To teach, to educate us from unhealthy patterns and relationships. She had been pushing back against pain for so long, yet it returned in her weaker moments, devastating her mind. To keep repeating the pattern would only prolong it, keep the pain underneath when in truth--it had to rise. She was making a choice to welcome it as a friend, to let it teach her what it must. Though she would be weaker in the moment, she would be stronger afterwards. She was letting it through her doors, sit at her table, talk until she was wiser even though ach word was a silver blade. _

_ She had learned that the two most powerful words in the world are “I believe”. If you say “I believe” out loud, you unleash extraordinary powers for darkness or for light. Once those words pass through your mouth in the light of day, they travel on into your immediate surroundings like invisible bullets. These bullets split to enter the ears of others nearby, and they travel back inside your brain. In a split second, they have become much bigger words than you could have imagined. Since those words can heal and build up, or they wound and tear down, one must be carefully of what they add to those two words. _

_ They say only the strongest of warriors choose their battles. _

_ This one was hers. She was earning her name. _

_ Fate was as cruel as death, which was something she knew first hand. They were the demons in her life, the ones that held onto her neck so tight, they squeezed the air out of her. Yet, she figured that at least fate would get tired of suffocating, that its clutches would numb. Love was like that; when it got its strongest, it always weakened and eventually let go. Even so, love was powerful… _

_ But fate was unstoppable. _

 

* * *

2:20 A.M., December 2nd, 20ZS

This was what Marcel lived for. Not inhaling coffee so he could remain awake and possibly have a caffeine crash later on, and working all night, but studying the supernatural. He didn’t want to seem odd or creepy for taking a liking to the files on Fate that talked about her telekinesis, but he had done so and probably did indeed seem odd and creepy. He couldn’t really help it. It was interesting, it was science, it was supernatural, and it was… just amazing to him, what she could do but wasn’t usually able to because society was awful and most scientific people would most likely turn her into a lab rat all over again and--

Nonetheless, this was Marcel, not some stupid, mainstream scientists. He was only interested into what she could do, not how it worked. Well, he was kind of interested in how she did it, but at the same time, monsters were partially made of magic anyways, so there was his answer without digging too deep.

What he didn’t like, however, was how he had to rewrite the notes to make them better because whoever wrote them in the Abaddon liked keeping things short and sweet.

And then it was late, so Rovia was half-asleep over the phone when Marcel managed to finish up and call him.

“Okay, so!” Marcel started, far too hyper for 2:30 in the morning. “There’s levels to telekinesis: basic, advanced, master, and ultimate. There’s also techniques to go with, but those aren’t very important honestly, they’re low-key shit--”

“ _ Get on with it, Marcel. _ ” Rovia grumbled over the phone, obviously halfway into a pillow and hoping for this to only take so much of his sleeping time.

“Okay, okay.” Marcel agreed, sorting out his papers and starting to explain. “From the basic level of telekinesis, Fate can do many things. She can bind--keep objects or beings from moving. She can levitate--lift objects. She can choke or strangle others without physical contact, in which I’d hate to be the guy who experienced that, and grasp objects firmly in place. She can also use somethings I like to call “telekinetic maneuver”, which is to alter an object’s directional course, and “telekinetic pull and push”, which is to pull objects towards her or to push objects away from her.”

Taking a moment to flip the papers around in his folder, he moved on.

“From the advanced level, she can use motor-skill manipulation to manipulate the movement of others and object manipulation to alter an object’s inner workings--which also means animation, to give motion to motionless items by focusing your mind power through it, and intuitive aptitude, which is to learn how an object works by taking it apart and putting it back together.” Marcel explained, listening to Rovia hum a bit from over the phone. At least he sounded interested now. “She can also use psionic healing, to heal others with one’s own telekinetic powers, and spatial sense, to “see” one’s surroundings using her telekinesis, such as sensing a target from a distance.”

“ _... Helpful. _ ” Rovia commented, in which Marcel nodded a bit and gave a hum in appreciation to the comment. Really, all that magic in one little girl…

“That's not all from there. She can also use telekinetic compression to crush an object, telekinetic destruction to make an object explode, telekinetic surgery to conduct complex surgery through telekinetic means, and she can use her telekinesis to cause physical wounds on others. Not that she’d need to use her telekinesis for that, am I right?” Marcel asked, trying to joke around, and could almost  **hear** Rovia rolling his eyes.

Nonetheless, Marcel moved on.

“From the master level, there isn’t much. They appeared to want to try out dimensional travel before she escaped, and thank God for that. To bend the fabric of dimensional barriers and allow traveling through wormholes or teleportation-like movements…” Marcel trailed off, a little scared at the very thought of it. Nonetheless, he continued on. “They, um, they tried some other stuff, although she never mastered it. Like, neural impulse manipulation a bit just to try out reanimation, and remote telekinesis, in which she only got as far as two rooms away before having meltdowns every time they tried again. She  **did** figure out technology manipulation, though, which is to manipulate the functions and properties of technology and all forms of high-tech machinery. She also was pretty good at vibration emission, to emit a powerful vibration strong enough to make objects shatter, and they tried weather manipulation, but… she never really went anywhere with it.”

There was a moment of silence.

“ _... What can she do on ultimate level? _ ” Rovia asked, sounding cautious, and Marcel flipped to the next page in his note-taking.

“... Nothing. It’s just techniques from there, Rovia. She can make objects deflate and use telekinesis in combat, but that’s about it.” The young adult explained with a small shrug to himself. “It’s pretty impressive, though--”

“ _ Pretty impressive? _ ” Rovia suddenly cut him off, sounding a little angry and much more awake. Marcel had a bad feeling about that. “ _ She could destroy things! As much as I want to trust her and believe that she’s a good kid, she came from the  _ **_Abaddon_ ** _ , Marcel!  _ **_This_ ** _ doesn’t make it any better for her case! _ ”

Marcel sat back in his seat, biting at his bottom lip uncomfortably. It wasn’t usual for Rovia to get so mad over something…

“ _... I want Brian and Dacian on her 24/7. _ ” Rovia stated simply, and Marcel gave a small “yes, sir” before he was met with the low ringing of the dial tone.

Marcel sat there for a good long while, reading through his notes again and again and again… and he didn’t find any reason to be afraid. Yes, he was a little nervous, but she was a good kid. She just wanted a normal life, for the Abaddon to go away and for her to be able to grow up normally. But he just had a feeling, a deep and dark feeling deep in his soul, that she would never get it.

He had a feeling that she might not make it too much further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU'VE MADE IT!!
> 
> Okay, so, nah, this ain't the last chapter, but it IS the descending into a shit spiral. I'm not exactly sure how many more chapters I wanna do, but just know: THE ENDING IS PLANNED. yES, you've read that correctly! I have the ending planned, and I'm actually planning for a sequel to this story once it's been finished...
> 
> My ideal would be to have 50 chapters, but I'm not sure if we'll get that far, so we'll just have to wait and see. I'll be keeping you updated on what's going on with sequel planning and how close we are to the end once I have it actually all together, but be warned that it's coming!!
> 
> THE END. OH MY GOD. IT'S IN SIGHT, ON THE HORIZON. Not for a bit, though. I'm slow.
> 
> Love y'all, enjoy yourselves. Feel free to ask questions.


	35. It's The Final Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara has some shit going on.  
> Hey, some Ebott history!  
> Toriel has quite the morning.  
> Rovia gives orders, and the countdown starts.  
> And Toriel knows that something is going on, and that she can't control it. Save this goat Mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm making ironic titles now.

3:30 P.M., December 10th, 20ZS 

“The Haunted House” fascinated Chara. In spite of all warnings and explanations, it drew them as the moon drawed water, but drew them no nearer than three feet into the Willow Creek forest, where you could just barely see the old house in the distance.

It belonged in the woods, jutting further into the trees than out. The house was low, one white with a deep front porch and lovely shutters, but had long ago darkened to the colors of the environment around it. Rain-rotted shingles; oak trees kept the sun far away. The remains of a picket drunkenly guarded the front yard where grass and rabbit-tobacco grew in abundance. Inside the house, or so they had heard, lived a malevolent phantom. Chara had never seen him, but people said that he existed. The misery of that house began many years before Frisk was born.

Living there last had been the Nixens. They were welcome anywhere in town, but kept to themselves. They didn’t go to church, only Mrs. Nixen crossing the street for a mid-morning coffee break with her neighbours and Mr. Nixen walking into town at 9:30 every morning and returning at 2:30 in the afternoon, just before the kids left school. The shutters and doors of the house were always closed every day, an odd thing to do in a small town, and that’s only just where the misery began.

Mr. and Mrs. Nixen supposedly had a young boy, but he was never seen and never heard from. There were rumors that he had pointed a pair of scissors the wrong way and caused that limp Mr. Nixen always seemed to have, and his parents had locked him down in their cold, wet basement as punishment. Some say that he died there, and that his ghost still haunted the place, but others say that perhaps he never existed in the first place. No one knew for sure.

And the only reason Chara was possibly going to get themself killed by knocking on the front door was because Madison Succorkit dared them to do so. In all their life--both drifting between the damned thing and being part of it--Chara had never declined a dare. They weren’t going to start declining them either, especially not from someone like Madison.

So off they went.

They went to the corner of the lot, then back again, studying the terrain as if it really mattered. Then, faster than anyone had ever seen Chara run except for chocolate, they tightened their backpack straps and sped to the side of the house, slapping it with their palm, and then ran back, not waiting to see if their foray was successful. Safely away from the house, about two blocks down to a bus stop further than the one the Dreemurr siblings usual went to in order to take the bus home, Chara stood panting and out of breath, looking paler than usual.

Because when they had run, the house say the same--droopy and sick--but they could’ve sworn that the saw an inside shutter move. Just a flick. Just a tiny, almost invisible movement, and then the house had gone still again.

 

* * *

 

7:50 A.M., December 12th, 20ZS 

Toriel was always waiting. Waiting for a chance, an opportunity, for something to swing her way. It was always like that, whether it be her waiting for a promotion for her under-appreciated work or not.

However, this morning, Toriel was simply waiting for coffee.

Her daily cup was a necessity for her to function throughout the day with a meltdown due to uninterested children, and some who we're quite rude about not being interested. It was a wonder as to why she hadn’t bought her own coffee machine or made time in the morning just to make a cup of coffee for herself. Nonetheless, that meant that she would go down to the Starbucks on the corner opposite of the secondary school she worked at, wait in line for five minutes to order what she’d like, and then wait in another line for ten minutes to receive her cup before crossing over to the school buildings.

“Toriel.”

Speaking of, there was her coffee. She walked up to the counter to receive it, having it handed to her by a girl who looked like she had better things to do with her time than serve motherly goats. Not that it mattered, as Toriel still gave a quick nod of thanks with a gentle smile before taking a test-sip of her coffee. It was fine, as per usual.

But as she turned around to exit the store, a body collided with her own and hot coffee was spilt all down the front of her shirt, albeit Toriel’s coffee was safely held in her hand--which she quickly put down on a nearby counter. It didn’t really hurt, being a user of fire magic, and it was a lucky thing that she didn’t have a class until second period, so she could afford to be late.

“ **Shit** ! I am **so** sorry! I didn’t see you!” A low feminine voice apologized from halfway below her, dressed as if she didn’t want anyone to notice her--in all black, a hoodie and jeans, and a baseball cap to cover her face as much as possible. The only noticeably colorful things were her bright blue eyes, and if you looked hard enough, her bright blonde hair that was scrunched into her hood.

Either way, the girl reached around Toriel to grab some napkins and started wiping and dabbing at the coffee. Knowing that it was a useless act, but it was very much appreciated, Toriel gently grabbed the girl’s cold, pale hands and pulled them away from her chest.

“It is quite alright… uh…” Toriel trailed off, not knowing this girl’s name.

“Oh, um, it’s… uh, S-Sage…” The girl responded softly, her eyes flicking about as if she didn’t want anyone to know it. Toriel merely smiled in return.

“Sage.” She addressed calmly, liking how easily the name came and went. “It is not your fault. It was an accident.”

“I-I could pay for the dry cleaning, for your shirt!” Sage offered, the pleading tone still evident in her voice, but Toriel shook her head.

“Like I said, it is quite alright.” Toriel reassured her, noting how Sage oddly smelt like pine and vanilla. Fate smelt oddly like pine as well, no matter how much time she spent around the house. “I work at a high school, so I always have extra clothing on me no matter.”

With a small snicker from the teenaged girl, Toriel grabbed her cup of coffee and gave her a gentle smile before setting off back on her usual routine. Sage, however, could tell that there was something off about meeting Toriel Dreemurr in person, compared to seeing photographs of her from Craig. Something was new…

She would talk to Mitchell about it later. Right now, she needed to get another cup of coffee…

 

* * *

 

9:29 A.M., December 12th, 20ZS 

Tyler was slung over Marcel’s shoulder, said african american teen leaning against Craig’s shoulder as he angrily tapped his phone screen, most likely playing an app game. Dacian and Brian stood hand-in-hand next to the pair, both of their phones and police walkie-talkies on and ready in case something happened while they were momentarily away from the job they had to do. Adam, Jordan and Cathy stood close by, chatting amongst themselves while the Dixon brothers messed with sparklers a couple of feet away, nearly burning themselves multiple times in a mere couple of seconds.

Multiple more cars pulled into the abandoned parking lot that was used for many things, and the rest of their group got out of their cars, coming down to under the nearby bridge to talk privately. This time, including Craig, they had five more people with them, but each and every one of them knew where they stood for the next couple of months.

Rovia didn’t hesitate to begin.

“Gather ‘round.” He ordered immediately, in which everyone listened. No one was being left behind on this. “... Are you ready?”

“ **Yes**!”

Rovia started up right on the dot.

“Brian and Dacian, I want you keeping tabs on the Dreemurr family. Aloisia Cantre will be joining you later on, but I don’t want one damn hair out of place. Once the Dreemurr’s are all home, no one goes in that house and no one comes out of it.”

Brian and Dacian nodded collectively.

“Hamza, Mabel, Abner--you’re taking number fourteen.”

Hamza and Mabel high-fived proudly, while Abner looked as if he was about to throw up.

“Cathy, you and your brothers are on number thirteen.”

Cathy gave a heavy nod, pride swelling in her SOUL even as Phil stupidly juggled sparklers.

“Shiloh, Imani--you’re on number twelve.”

“Yes, sir.” Shiloh responded, her hand flying to where her pistol resting calmly, and Imani crossed her arms over her chest with a small nod in response.

“Chilled, Minx--I want you both on number ten.”

“Boy is gonna have his ass **beat**!” Minx cheered as she punched her fist into her open palm before throwing an excited, and proud, arm over her timid brother’s shoulders. He looked proud enough, but he was obviously terrified.

“Maxim, Renee--take Malcolm and Zoe, and head for number eleven.”

Maxim and Renee both swung arms around each other before high-fiving intensely.

“Jeremiah, Taryn--get on number nine and keep each other in check.”

Jeremiah and Taryn both glanced at each other, one worryingly and one angrily, before looking back at Rovia calmly and nodding.

“Adam, take number eight.”

Adam stuck his burning hands into his cool jean pockets, giving Rovia a nod.

“Sage, I want you on number seven.”

The disguised girl gave a frantic nod, bouncing on her heels and excited for action.

“Jordan, can you take number six?”

The question was null and void as Jordan stood up straight with pride, his cheeks a bright pink from Rovia trusting him, and he gave a frantic nod alongside and loud and clear “Yes, sir!”

“Elizabeth, you’re on number five. Mitchell, you’re on number four.”

The very different heighted duo exchanged looks, 5’7” and 5’4” respectively, before giving nods back to Rovia. They wouldn’t question why those numbers weren’t different for them, because Rovia knew better than any of them who was best fitted for who.

“Ryeluen, please take number three.”

Ryeluen tipped his fedora down with a nod, ignoring all the stares. The top three was something else…

“Clay, you’re on number two, if you can handle that.”

Clay nodded frantically, **trying** to ignore all off the stares she was being given.

“I’m on number one.” Rovia informed, and no one was surprised. That left Marcel and Craig for… “Marcel, Craig… You both are in charge of making sure that the three troublemakers don’t step out of line. You’ll be keeping tabs on them while also heading with Brian and Dacian to keep an eye on the Dreemurr household, and I expect a heads up if anything--and I mean **anything** \--comes up or comes to mind!”

Everybody paused, taking in the ordeers, and then grouping together. Rovia took a deep breath, and then nodded to all of his friends. Thy had become family over time, and he really hoped that they would all be able to spend time as such after this-- **all** of them.

“Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

5:09 P.M., December 12th, 20ZS 

Toriel had never considered Fate to be an artist of any kind before, so she was shocked when she walked into the room that the young girl shared with her siblings and hadn’t left all day since getting home from school, only to find a clutter of papers with designs on them. She was amazed at first, the detail put into them so intensely, but as she kept looking along, the darker the drawings got. It was almost as if Fate was trying to communicate to someone through them, but there was no one around…

Then again, Fate had been odd for a long time now.

“Fate?” Toriel asked, gently knocking, and the girl jumped up almost immediately, causing Toriel to gasp at her bleeding nose. What had happened? Rushing forward, she carefully grasped the young girl’s face in her paws, wiping the blood away before checking her for a fever. She was a little clammy, most likely from working so hard on her art. Toriel merely sighed, putting a paw over her SOUL. “Do not scare me like that, and do not work yourself so hard. Come now, it is time for dinner.”

Fate didn’t argue so much as hesitate for a moment before quickly following Toriel out of the room and heading downstairs for dinner. It didn’t get much better down there as Fate quickly shoveled the food into her mouth, downed a cup of juice, and then excused herself from the table only to head back upstairs once more, kicking the bedroom door so it closed over except for a crack.

Toriel didn’t like it.

So after dinner, she went back upstairs, not bothering to knock as she checked on how Fate was doing. She was sitting on her bed that time, scribbling on the same paper as before. Then, she suddenly threw the paper down, and began a new drawing on a new paper. She seemed frustrated or worried or upset or--

Nonetheless, Toriel couldn’t help but ponder the girl’s actions. When her paw moved over the paper, it was almost as if her mind was directing it without her. Odd, perhaps, but that’s how it seemed to go. Her paw moved instinctively to the right spot, building a new picture, often one that Toriel couldn’t recognize… until, she did recognize one. It was an outline of a building Toriel knew of, but couldn’t quite place at the moment…

“Just shut up!” Fate suddenly snapped, being as quiet as possible as she stared in front of her at nothing, her nose bleeding steadily again. Her movements had come to a sudden stop as she spoke to… whoever, or whatever, was in front of her. “I’m **trying**! I’m trying my hardest, but I can’t get close enough, okay!?”

Even if she couldn’t, she still went back to scribbling, and Toriel couldn’t help but not eavesdrop any longer. She simply closed the door over again and stood next to the room, breathing deeply.

Something was going on, and she had the awful feeling that Fate was more involved than she could tolerate. She slid down the wall, feeling her shirt drag along the chipping paint, and she simply sat there, face in her paws and unsure whether she was going to burst into tears or not.

It seemed that no matter what she did, her children always got themselves into trouble meant for people far beyond their years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, it's a countdown. I'm not necessarily sure how much of a countdown, but expect different kinds of chapters and the end just beyond them...
> 
> I've set my goal to 15 more chapters, which will be 50 chapters overall. It may up to 51? It may be less. I've set the thing to 35/50 as of now, but I'm not sure if that'll be correct, so... hold out with me y'all lmao


	36. It's Time To Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hamza, Abner and Mabel head off for number fourteen, and Mabel faces her.  
> Cathy and her younger brothers head off for number thirteen, and Cathy faces him.  
> Shiloh and Imani face number twelve.  
> Chilled and Minx do a little travelling, and then they face number ten. Chilled has some issues, but Minx helps him deal with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BANANANA, BANANANANA! BANANANA, BANANANANA!
> 
> I changed Chilled and Minx from number eleven to number ten because I was writing them against number ten before I realized they were supposed to be on number eleven, so deal with it lmao. Maxim and Renee are on number eleven now.
> 
> This is pretty much you getting acquainted with all the mysterious characters I have, and we're counting down to the end. I'm still unsure of how many chapters there are left, but 'm excited to take this journey with y'all!

11:30 P.M., December 12th, 20ZS

The hills that were friendly in the day we're darkly ominous by night. The paths we're illuminated just hours before became lost in a blackness that even moonlight couldn’t help. The trees that were magnificent in the sunshine towered over the group of four as they stepped across the borderline between the seen and the unseen. Choosing not to go in was no choice at all.

“I don’t like this.” The youngest voice suddenly pleaded, pulling on his older brother’s jacket. He was only ten years old and had no choice but to come with them, not knowing what dangers they would be facing within the next hour.

Hamza kneeled down to his younger brother, Roland Neal Blanchard.

“I don’t like it, either, but we have to do it. We won’t reach safety otherwise.” Hamza informed, and the small boy with an unkempt fluff of brown hair paused before giving a small nod, going to the back of the line and taking his older cousin’s hand.

Abner squeezed the tiny hand comfortingly, and the group continued on.

The air was several degrees cooler out here, causing them all to bundle up tightly or suffer the shivering that came with being cold, and no matter how many times they listened for signs of life around them, there came none. Back home, such a silence would be tranquil, but out here, it was more like the silence of a graveyard. Eventually, they spotted the rustic cabins that dotted the grassy hills as trees stood up like spikes, zigzagging the border of brick roads and unpolished homes. This was Mabel’s hometown, and she still had a cabin to return to despite there being no family to welcome her home.

And it was her job to head of to number fourteen while Hamza and Abner settled Roland in. She didn’t really mind, as she felt this should be easy… or, at least, easier than the rest of them.

She ran through the list of places in her mind, checking off the ones as she went to search and happily being greeted by a couple of old neighbours who recognized her. In a frozen second between looking between houses and continuing on, her eyes landed exactly on them--who she had been searching for and who she had to confront.

She could always recognize the chin-length pitch black hair and ocean blue eyes of Keil.

Mabel never argued with her fists, but this time, she swung it straight in without a word or even a sound to signify that it was coming.

 

* * *

9:30 A.M., December 13th, 20ZS

Cathy wasn’t sure how she ended up with two younger brothers who always fucked things up, but she loved them. They were all Dixon’s for a reason.

Daniel, or more preferably Dan, was the youngest of the three at the age of twenty-two, but was actually the tallest, standing just at 6’0”. He had naturally wavy dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, matching Cathy. Philiciano, or more preferably Phil, was the odd one, resembling their Mother more so than their failure of a Father. He was the middle child at the age of twenty-three and stood at and middle height of 5’11” with straight, messy black hair and bright blue eyes that appeared somewhat green behind his rectangular glasses--cheetah print, he had demanded. While Dan was the more calmer one of the two and made less bad decisions than Phil, he always ended up suggesting something stupid that Phil would do just in spite of him.

Once again, Cathy wasn’t sure how she ended up with these two. She was twenty-nine, standing at 5’5” with mid-back, wavy dark brown hair and dark brown eyes that were sometimes brighter behind her rectangular glasses--black, as requested. They were all Dixons, though. All abandoned by their failure of a Father and the death of their Mother, and all taken in under Rovia as they grew to who they were today. They intended to fight, fuck ups or not.

Just outside the South of Ebott, after a bit of searching, Cathy was able to find the short, blonde hair and ocean blue eyes of Elwyn.

Of course, he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

A sudden gush of pain jolted through Cathy’s body; her stomach ached, her arms lost tension, and her legs began to weaken, but she wouldn’t let him get the better of her in just one hit. Despite her tongue being soaked in the taste of blood, being bruised and winded with a leg in agony, she grabbed one of Elwyn’s feet and pulled him to the ground, her head pounding dangerously. She didn’t hesitate to bring a fist across Elwyn’s face, knocking him out cold and snapping his nose into a grotesquerie.

And then, she simply sat, waiting for her brothers. They didn’t take long, having come running at the slightest sound of Cathy struggling, but they took long enough for the blood to build up in her mouth, having her spit out a mouthful just as they approached.

“Jesus Christ, Cathy!” Dan yelled, unsure of what exactly to do, and then just wimpily kicked Elwyn in the side. They didn’t attack opponents who couldn’t fight back. “You could’ve signalled us!”

“Sorry, I was too busy being roundhouse-kicked.” Cathy apologized sarcastically, motioning to Phil for him to help her up. He did so without question, but then lugged her onto his back and waited for her to stop fighting against him before turning around to head back into town, motioning to Dan to… do something with Elwyn.

So Dan dragged him. All the way into town, in a duffle bag.

Cathy could not believe that she was stuck with these lovable idiots.

 

* * *

2:30 P.M., December 14th, 20ZS

Imani narrowed her dark brown eyes at the figurines littering the table They had been rearranging themselves again. She knew that they did it just to gaul her. Instead of the painful grimace and fighting stances she’d left them in, they we're now blowing kisses at one another. She felt her guts twist in protest--she always had a distaste to romance. Her hands raised to her hips as she tapped her she on the floor. The glare from her eyes could have killed a human in seconds, and the glass figures began to wilt, slowly moving into combat poses and their dopey expressions becoming fierce.

Imani gave a sweet smile and a swift nod before departing to find Buffles, her cat. He promised that he’d bring in three rats and she had no doubt that he’d have them because he just  **loved** to disgust her. He was quite selfish, but she loved him nonetheless.

“Buffles!” She called, placing down her purse and turning off her mic for her ear piece just for a moment. Shiloh was on the other end, searching for number twelve.

And here came the ginger tabby cat with a slight glare.

“Where have you  **been** , girl? I am  **starvin** ’!” Buffles complained, but Imani only rolled her eyes starting to set up her table so she could be with Shiloh without actually having to be there. She was too anxious for that… “I have those three rats I promised in the other room, if you’d like to see ‘em.”

Imani simply grabbed the bag of cat food and poured it into the bowl, filling it up to the brim.

“Not now, Buffles. It’s take-down time.” Imani explained, and his muzzle opened into a shocked “O” before he was taken over by hunger, chowing down on the cat food in his little food bowl. She clicked on her earpiece mic again, readying her magic as she spoke to Shiloh. “Have you found him, Shiloh?”

As she placed her hands down on the table, lighting the candles without a match, she searched for Shiloh and found her within moments, giving a nod in response before speaking over the earpiece.

“ _ Yah, he’s in sight. Are you here yet? _ ” Shiloh questioned, sounding a little impatient, and Imani chuckled lightly.

“You underestimate me, Magnolia.” Imani insisted, using Shiloh’s last name, and the blonde merely scoffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. Not too far from her stood a woman with shoulder-length, bright blonde hair and steel blue eyes, obviously aggressive and bored of waiting for whatever it was she was waiting for--Eleri. Imani knew what she was waiting for, but wouldn’t say. “Go get her.”

Shiloh’s violence was in her words, and in that devilish smirk she always gave before a fight. Imani knew everything about her--every perceived flaw, every vulnerability, and she knew where to put the pressure. Like twisting a finger in a bullet hole, Imani could remind Shiloh of her pains, her worst memories, the times she had felt most abandoned, but Imani wouldn’t ever do it. Shiloh was a good person, not matter how aggressive she could get.

Imani didn’t know who threw the first punch, but suddenly Shiloh’s fist was slamming into Eleri’s face while Eleri’s fist sunk into Shiloh’s stomach. Shiloh threw her body weight behind every fist that edged closer to Eleri’s face, hitting her jaw with such force that blood always ended up flying out of the younger woman’s mouth. With Shiloh’s own two hands, she grasped Eleri’s head in them and brought her knee cap to her nose, hearing a blunt crack before she released the bright blonde haired. She fell back after some more battering, crimson leaking from both her nostrils and her nose twisted right.

Shiloh, despite the blood on her knuckles and the bruise beginning to form above her right eye, breathing heavily, spoke back to Imani.

“Number twelve is taken care of. Heading to the rendezvous.”

 

* * *

5:30 P.M., December 14th, 20ZS

Chilled hated fighting on an empty stomach--well, as empty as it was with a donut in it--but he always followed behind Minx no matter what. It was rare for him to take the lead, as he was far too timid of the world to trust himself with that despite being the older twin by eight minutes. She was born  **brave** and healthy, but him? He was born timid and with heart palpitations. He should’ve died long ago, but by some miracle, his heart fixed itself up and he was free to live life as normal as he could get.

The Daznew’s had grown up poor from the beginning, in many ways. They lived in a run-down house, they barely had enough to eat every day, they wore the same clothes no matter how bad they came to smell, and their Father was lazy and abusive. Their Mother passed on right after they were born, her blood having clotted freakishly and killed her. It was as if Chilled’s heart problems had been fixed by passing them onto his Mother, and he often thought about it too hard and ended up getting no sleep.

Minx had always been… eccentric. She beat up anyone who threatened her or her brother, she teased Chilled a lot--she was the only one who was allowed to without getting a bloody nose or a broken bone--and she always wanted to dare the devil to drag her into Hell if she died. She lived up to the name Minx, instead of Laura like she had been born with, by being cunning and bold. She had dark brown hair that reached down to her collarbone, straight and dark and decorated with a dark purple bang, and dark brown eyes with a flame always lit in them.

Chilled was the opposite.

He had always been eccentric in a timid way. He let anyone beat him up or tease him, even though he tried to warn them that Minx wouldn’t have it, and he was as cautious as an alley cat that needed to return to her children. Except he was nothing like a Mother, he was just… him. Anthony Daznews, better known as Chilled because he was calm and gentle. He had curly dark brown hair hidden by a plush red hat, having belonged to his Mother, and chocolate brown eyes that were soft and observant.

It was safe to say that Minx was the strong one, and Chilled was the smart one… right?

The pair of twenty-three year old twins would soon find out, having to go over to the city nearby Ebott for the job they had been trusted with. It took a day-long train ride because Minx had to “think of a plan”, but here they were, in the loudest place Chilled could think of besides a school… a casino. Even villains liked to have fun, apparently.

They stood in the lobby, taking in the dim sunlight, the sound of falling water, and the striking Native American sculptures. In front of them, the casino entrance beckoned one of them and scared the other. Inside, the ceiling lights were muted, allowing the glow of a thousand glowing slot machines to fill the room, and as the moved in, getting ID’d because Minx was short and Chilled looked like a literal seventeen year old, the plush carpet and art gave way to hard fluorescent light, linoleum, and serious men in suits. The casino was filled with color, and constant undertone of the slot machines.

It was hard to describe the sound. It wasn’t musical, yet it wasn’t noise, either. It was more of a robotic background; tinkles, clanks, and the occasional beep or brief snatch of melody. It was the sound of a thousand slot machines in action.

Chilled and Minx linked hands, not willing to lose each other in the crowd while the searched for number ten.

No one talked. The gamblers were serious, focused on their machines. The sat back, leant forward, drawed deeply on cigarettes, and played. Some pushed buttons, others pulled levers. The days of mechanical slot machines were long gone. Everything in a modern casino was electronic, all of it flashings and glowing, and sometimes beeping or chirping. It was mesmerizing.

In the center of the casino, guarded by rows and rows of slots, they found the games. There were crap tables, poker, blackjack, and roulette. There, the dynamic changed. The players talked, but the language was abbreviated. “Gimme another”, “stand,” and the patter of the dealer as he rakes the chips and deals the cards. The twins saw a few hundred people in the time they walked the floor, none of them smiling. A few looked angry, actually, but the rest looked serious, and indeed, gambling was a serious business. Whatever happened, there was always another bet. The buttons sat there before you, glowing softly, silently taunting you to make a choice--to lay your money down.

Not too far from them, a scuffle suddenly broke out. Two men grunted as they took handfuls of each other’s clothing and attempted to wrestle the other to the ground. Then, the tall one released a hand-hold and used it to start jabbing the other man in the ribs before the shorter one released both hands and grabbed the other man's hair, bringing his face down sharply onto his bent knee. Blood flowed from the tall man's broken nose and he staggered backwards, and that seemed to be the end of the little scuffle. Short, violent and bloody.

Chilled was scared out of his mind, but Minx intended to get the job done as she yanked on Chilled’s sensitive ear, causing him to yelp softly. She motioned ahead of them, and there Chilled saw what she was seeing--number ten. He was tall with platinum-blonde hair that was very short and worn in a Caesar cut, and electric-blue eyes, and he also had a goatee, not that it mattered… He wore five silver piercings on his ears; four helix piercings in the form of two hoops on each ear and one piercing shaped in a symbol unknown to them dangling from one earlobe. His name was Preece, and they both knew him well.

“Off we go.” Minx said simply, stomping her foot on the mat to make it rumble under Preece’s feet, gaining his attention.

The moment he saw them, they made a run for it, deciding with one look to split up and lead him to the nearby park, where no one hung out at this time for some reason.

As he chased behind them, and as the light faded to black outside, the warmth of the winter quite gone, only ever present in the sunshine, and the first bite of winter paled their tanned skin. Rushing into the park, it grew ever more dark, the shadows of the trees blending into the blackness and their silhouettes against the sky becoming less pronounced. The view disappeared and the sound emerged as if the volume was being steadily turned upward, the breaking of simple leaves or twigs becoming the focus of their attention as they all ran through the tall grass.

And then, they froze, just next to the playground where no kids were playing or coming to play. There was stillness on both sides. If hatred was visible, the air would have been scarlet. Chilled reached out to grab onto his sister’s arm, but then she suddenly moved, ramming into Preece as if she meant to smash him into the very Earth--but the problem was that Preece did the same. Each didn’t just want the other dead, they wanted them  **smashed** . Obliterated, with nothing left to bury. There was no holes barred when Minx went in for the attack. She pulled out hair in handfuls, scratched, bit, kicked, and head-butted, but she was against number ten.

Chilled wasn’t sure what to do as his sister pummeled and got pummeled back. He couldn’t scream, or else the cops might come running, but he wasn’t a fighter. He  **hated** fighting, he  **couldn’t** fight. His limbs were like wimpy noodles without any power behind them whenever they were swung.

But Minx was on the ground, and Preece was above her, yelling something that Chilled couldn’t quite pick up. There was a reason he didn’t fight…

In moments, his nose was bleeding from both nostrils and in searing pain, but Preece was on the ground. There was the white, jagged end of a broken bone cutting through the skin, and blood ran freely in thick, scarlet rivers amongst the hairs of his arm, matting them together before it soaked into his once white sleeve. From his right elbow to his hand there was no more skin, only raw and weeping flesh in various shades of pink and red--and the same could be said of his knee. But he unconscious, not screaming, so it was fine.

Until Chilled took in what he had really done, and immediately fell back into Minx’s arms. There was a reason everyone thought she was older, and there was a reason Chilled didn’t fight.

The kids used to call Chilled evil, but he was just a boy. To many people, he was just a weak little boy who wasn’t even strong enough to fight back. Minx was the only one in front of whom he could cry, confess what he did, how bad he felt when he had already done it, and there was no way to take it back. All she could do was hug him tight and tell him to be strong, that it would be okay, because past those cold chocolate brown eyes, he was soft. He had an innocent mind and he was scared.

And they both knew that the devil was not evil. Chilled was not evil. He was just scared, and he just acted without thinking sometimes, and he was just too strong for his own good.

Nonetheless, it was off to the rendezvous spot for them, with Preece being carried in a duffle bag, bandaged up and hopefully still breathing.

Rovia would kill them if he wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. - So, you may or may not have noticed, but I finally got together the series for this both and it's sequel. It's officially called "Eclipse", and you'll figure out why... in the sequel! For now, this is Unpainted Fate, and we're facing the Abaddon.


	37. Some Don't Fight, Some Fight Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxim and Renee face number eleven.  
> Taryn and Jeremiah find number nine.  
> Adam fights number eight, a friend named Arwin.  
> And Sage faces off against number seven in an alleyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOW A WHOLE 'NOTHER CHAPTER
> 
> ARE WE COUNTING DOWN Y'ALL OR COUNTING UP?

10:30 P.M., December 14th, 20ZS

The landscape was the embodiment of boredom. It was as if the creator had run out of all but yellow and blue after creating the forests just a district away. The golden waves of corn stretched in every direction to the horizon where it met the forget-me-not sky, and the stars in the sky were non-existent, as between them arose puffs of gray. Those balls of cotton seen during the day shifted into streams of gray, the color of ash and soot, blanketing the sky and hiding the full moon in its full glory behind them. The moon fought to shine its light on the Earth, but the clouds stretched over the sky, giving it a hazy, ominous feel.

Number eleven was outside the farmhouse they were approaching, simply welcoming them with a smile. He wasn’t a physical fighter--he fought with words, steady and manipulative. He had mid-back length, bright pink-dyed hair and navy blue eyes, and a sweet smile that made both Maxim and Renee feel sick to their stomachs. His name was Selwyn and he had lived here since he was young, but it wasn’t always so cheerful out here.

“Maxim, Renee, Malcolm, Zoe--” He addressed the four of them--man, woman, demon dog, and demon cat--and simply summoned chairs from his house to the outside with his magic. It was barely an effort for him. “Take a seat. Let’s have a chat! It’s been so long since someone visited me out here in the country.”

He was too joyful, but nonetheless, Max and Renee took their seats with Malcolm and Zoe sitting on the ground in between them, all of them with neutral faces that burned with both anger and anxiety.

“How long did it take to get here? I hope the journey wasn’t too striking!” Selwyn started to converse, pausing his speech for a moment as he checked his plants to see if he had watered them enough today. He had. He looked stupid in his domestic clothing, the big sunhat and rubber gardening gloves… “It’s certainly deserted out here, I won’t lie about that, but at least the neighbours and I get along!”

He let out a deep laugh as if he had just made the best joke of all time, but Maxim and Renee didn’t fall for it. Their plan was to wait him out, and so far, it seemed to be working. His face fell a bit when he realized they hadn’t reacted at all, and he slipped off his gardening gloves, resting them on the arms of his chair.

“You’ve all grown since the last time I saw you!” He continued, hoping to crack out some emotion, but he got nothing from just that. “Maxim, you’ve grown a scruffy beard. It looks quite nice for your age!” Nothing. “Renee, you’ve grown your hair out, but it’s still as deeply red as always!” Nothing. “Last time I saw Malcolm and Zoe, they were merely a puppy and a kitten!”

Still nothing. He was becoming agitated.

“... I know about your abilities, you know.” He dug deeper, barely gaining a twitchy eye from any of them or so much as a difference in their breathing. “Maxim, you have a tie with water. It’s not so surprising, seeing as you grew up on an island… and Renee, you have a tie to poison. That’s a little odd, huh?”

He still got nothing. He scowled, and then slammed his hands down on the arms of his chair, getting up onto his feet with his hands in the air--surrendering.

“Fine, Jesus, take me in! I couldn’t care less!” He yelled, obviously irritated, and then Renee smiled as Maxim put Selwyn in handcuffs. She grabbed a walkie talkie from her belt and pressed down on the button, speaking into it.

“Number eleven obtained, heading to rendezvous point.”

 

* * *

8:43 A.M., December 15th, 20ZS

The coastline was brilliant in the morning sun with its chalky white ribbon of cliffs, jagged an folded, shrinking into the distance. Below the cliffs we're beaches of rocks made rough by the barnacles upon them, each beach divided by wooden groynes that stretched out to greet the coming waves. Some, like gap-toothed children, were missing planks. In the distance, a spit stretched out into the sea and upon the end was a lighthouse, lonely and abandoned. The foamy crests of the crashing waves we're the only sound other than the cry of the gulls.

It had been peaceful for Taryn, until Jeremiah got excited over finding a crab and nearly shoved it in her face, causing her to let out a yell and nearly trip on some barnacles. Nonetheless, as he excitedly chattered on, she couldn’t help but listen. This was her little brother, after all.

Taryn and Jeremiah Lahti looked nothing like siblings, but they were. Their Father had been pure Korean and their Mother pure American, and they each resembled their separate parents quite well.

Taryn stood at 5’7” with mid-back length auburn hair, that was straight until the end where it seemed to curl in on itself and looked somewhere between a dark red and a dark brown, and bright green eyes. She resembled their Mother in more ways than just her appearance as an American, but in personality partially as well. Their Mother had been aggressive and violent much like Taryn, but Taryn could love more than their Mother ever could have. Taryn was twenty-six, the older sister and quite responsible despite her bursts of anger, whether intentional or not.

Jeremiah stood at 5’9” with short, slightly curly, pitch black hair and dark brown eyes. He resembled their Father in appearance as a Korean and had taken on his own personality--kind to anyone and everyone, curious about anything and everything, and brave. Steven was twenty-two, the younger brother and as responsible as a man-child could be, but he was wise and believed in the better of everyone.

“The pincers themselves are works of art! They’re a soft brown color, like coffee with too much cream, and along the edges are darker patches in  **perfect lines** , just touches of a richer hue! The crab himself has darker legs and eye-stalks, his shell a mottle of the two shades, but it’s  **awesome** !” Jeremiah explained to her, and she merely nodded in response, giving him a soft smile. She wasn’t really interested, but she was trying to be. Jeremiah let the crab go and with pincers raised, he made his side-ways scuttle across the cold morning sands. “Okay, we can continue now.”

Taryn shook her head lovingly, patting her brother’s shoulder with a grin before continuing to lead their way over to the only other person out here at this time--number nine, or better known as Glynn. He had cyan eyes and dirty-blonde hair, the latter of which was quite distinctive due to its odd mullet-like style, several individual bangs falling over his face. Music filled the air without effort as they approached him slowly, likes the waves filling holes in the beach sand; the sound rushing in and around them. He stopped upon hearing them, but didn’t do anything. He simply packed up his guitar, and got onto his feet turning away from the ocean with a pair of sad, cyan eyes.

“... It’s time, isn’t it?” He questioned, having that gut feeling, and Taryn gave him her best sympathetic look as she and Jeremiah both nodded.

Glynn simply nodded in return and didn’t resist, holding out his wrists for them to be handcuffed as Jeremiah grabbed out the walkie talkie.

“Number nine obtained, heading to rendezvous point.”

 

* * *

6:30 P.M., December 15th,20ZS

Adam rested his hand on the rough paintwork that coated the door and pushed. Rough wooden splinters cut into his palm; shards of black paint crumbled to the floor. The hinges squealed as though they were a warning, but their plea was silenced by a wall of noise. Laughter overpowered the jukebox. Conversations swirled in a dirty cloud of smoke, the stagnant stench of cigarettes hiding within the collaboration of mephitic odours. The smoke twisted in its artistic way, forming curls in the gloom, illuminated only by the age-speckled bar lights. Along the wall was every hue of amber liquid in their inverted bottles; every vice that teens were ordered to avoid.

But it didn’t take long for Adam to find number eight--Arwin--not with the man’s flaming red hair that defied gravity and his solid green eyes that defied the physics of green eyes. There was a pause as Arwin swallowed the sip of vodka in his mouth, nowhere close to drunk, and then he put down the drink.

“Time to head out?” Arwin questioned, and Adam could see that Arwin’s hand was still on the bottle, the vodka starting the bubble from the heat of his magic--the same time of magic that Adam could use. The older man simply nodded, and Arwin paused before giving a long sigh and chugging back his hot vodka, slamming the bottle down and grabbing his leather jacket as if it would make a difference. There was no difference from cold drinks to hot drinks with either of them. “Let’s go, then, Maalouf.”

There was no need to handcuff Arwin, either. He was on their side and had been for awhile now, so Adam simply gave another nod and the pair left the bar. It had basically been Arwin’s home for the past couple of months, but he wouldn’t be returning the moment he stepped out the door.

He stepped out anyways, right behind Adam, and went up the steep stairs leading down to the bar and out to the street.

 

* * *

9:23 P.M., December 15th, 20ZS

The alleyway was dark and the sour relics of a hundred take-away meals. As Sage walked between the walls that are too high for her to bother seeking the almost black sky, she kicked the garbage with each stride. As she left the street, the lamp posts casted her shadow like black over deepest charcoal; by midway it had bled out From the apartments come noises, not so much as in the daytime, but all the louder for the absence of light and the quieter traffic. Soon, she noticed the man ahead and focused her gaze on him, full of anger and ready to strike as soon as she got close.

Emhyr had long, frayed blue hair that framed his face, though it was slicked back in wild spikes at the top. Behind, it reached down to his mid-back and was cut slightly neater. A distinctive trait of his was the X-shaped scar between his golden brown eyes that extended to about halfway up his forehead in one direction and to just under the eyes in the other. He wore a single studded earring on each ear. He was cold and emotionless, and she was ready to fight.

Walking along the rough, cobbled streets that caused her feet to ache, the buildings were tight together and loomed over her, like a forest of stone. When she looked up, the roofs we're so close together that she could only make out a sliver of the cloudy night sky. As they turned into another alleyway, Sage finally called out.

“Hey!” She yelled, gaining Emhyr’s attention He wasn’t frightened or confused. He simply stared. Sage ripped her hat from her head and took her hood along with it, staring at Emhyr face-to-face.

They stood in silence, examining each other for may a full minute, before Emhyr suddenly sprung forward and tackled Sage to the ground before she could even pull out her knife. They crashed into some cardboard boxes, knocking them all over loudly, and each of them went crashing onto the concrete ground where a pile of glass laid. Feeling the stinging sensation of blood dripping from her back from several tiny cuts, Sage let out a cry of pain.

Kicking and hitting, she attempted at striking Emhyr as best as she could, but he was quicker. Suddenly, her left eye and jaw we're stinging from sharp blows to the face that hurts so bad that her eye, that wasn’t already beginning to swell, had tears forming in pools. Bringing her knee up, she heard the man above her grunt in pain and flip over top of her, landing several feet again. He clutched his side and Sage pulled her knife from her pocket, twirling it in her fingers before throwing it sharply at Emhyr, who narrowly dodged what could have been a knife straight through the eye.

When Emhyr rose to his feet, Sage scrambled to get up, but he stomped down on her left wrist an she scream our in pain at the sudden pressure. There might have been the sickening sound of a crack, but she couldn’t hear anything over her own screaming. The boot left imprints in her skin as she writhed in pain, her entire arm burning at the slightest touch, and she brought her arm to her chest, stopping herself from screaming her lungs off. Pushing away her pain, she quickly dashed and scooped up her pocket knife, struggling to her feet and doing everything in her power to keep all weight off her left arm. Rushing behind her came Emhyr, determined to win this fight, but Sage swung around and immediately stabbed him in the stomach. He cursed in pain through a mouthful of blood and she pulled the knife back before throwing the knife down and swinging in her fist, punching straight across his face and hitting his temple hard.

Emhyr fell to the ground unconscious, and Sage gathered up a mouthful of saliva, spitting down at him.

“Asshole!” She snapped before just standing there, breathing and listening for anyone who might’ve come running. There was nothing, so she grabbed her walkie talkie as she eyed one of the cardboard boxes that was still intact. “Number seven obtained… heading to the rendezvous point soon…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sage may or may not have shoved Emhyr into a cardboard box. We'll find out.


	38. Another One Bites The Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And another one, and another one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mm, another chapter. This may be it for tonight.

7:30 A.M., December 16th, 20ZS 

Jordan knew that he would find Lyn in the Ebott library, no further than necessary.

Lyn had bright aqua colored eyes, though only his left one was clearly visible, the right one being covered by his long, layered bangs. His steel-blue hair sported messy bangs that completely covered the right side of his face, reaching about an inch or two past his chin. On his left side, his bangs, though still rather long, were shorter than the right side, partially covering his ear. A few strands of hair fell over the exposed section of his face and the back of his hair was quite a bit shorter than the front.

Jordan had known Lyn since they were both children. They were both twenty-two and both grew up in the Ebott Orphanage. Jordan had been normal in a way, with curly dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, but had gotten along with Lyn, who had been an outcast, because he didn’t have any interest in the things most of the other children did. They both liked books more than anything, and Lyn enjoyed sitting in the big tree in the back to read. Jordan merely enjoyed climbing the tree, but ended up spending more and more time with Lyn as a result.

So, without a care in the world, Jordan sat down beside Lyn with a kind smile. Lyn looked back at him with a shocked expression before returning to his book, finding comfort in the pages whenever he got too anxious.

“... You’re here to arrest me.” Lyn assumed, but Jordan gave a slight shrug, looking over Lyn’s shoulder at the pages of his book.

“... Only if you’re going to resist.” Jordan responded honestly, and Lyn paused before letting out a sigh and closing his book, pushing it away.

“Take me in. I don’t really care.” Lyn insisted, getting to his feet with Jordan following soon after. “... I’d rather it be you than someone stupid.”

Jordan snorted, and then grabbed his walkie talkie from his belt.

“Number six obtained. Heading to rendezvous point now.”

 

* * *

 

9:30 A.M., December 16th, 20ZS 

Liz pulled her leather jacket closer around her body to shield herself from the cold air that blew in the night sky. She took extra caution where she stepped before reaching some hedges, hovering behind them with a heart that pounded a mile per minute and hairs on her arms that stuck straight up. It wasn’t long before she came face-to-face with a man she had seen only once before. He was large in terms of broadness, his face very angular with strong features such as a square chin, a straight nose, and sharp cheekbones. He had blue eyes and somewhat small eyebrows, his hair ginger and slicked back into messy spikes.

She could see the axe dangling from his hand and couldn’t even cry out before he had slapped a hand over her mouth and shoved her down to the ground. He then delivered a kick to her side, in which she yelped in pain, curling in on herself. He towered over her, a foot on her stomach so he could hold her to the ground, and she kicked her legs up in a desperate attempt to hit his knees, but the large man wouldn’t budge. He was incredibly tall and she could feel the weight of his body crushing down on her ribs. This was number five, Bryne.

But luckily, she hadn’t come alone.

Before he could do anything else, a needle dug into his arm and his eyes rolled back into his head. Liz frantically pulled herself away before his body could crush her and smirked thankfully up at her partner who had used a serum she “borrowed” from Craig before leaving. Her partner was merely a fifteen year old girl standing at 5’2¼" with wavy blonde hair partially concealed by a black beanie and soft chocolate brown eyes that grinned alongside her lips.

This was Poppy Amaryllis Williams, Liz’s younger sister who often just stayed on the outskirts of Ebott with their legal guardian--Acacia Aster.

“Did I do it right?” She asked with her naturally very soft voice, sounding much like an angel despite just knocking out a big, burly man with a small needle. Liz grinned at her younger sister, giving a nod before spitting out some some.

“You did great, Poppy.” Liz assured her younger sister, who burst into a bright smile and soft giggling before Liz grabbed her walkie talkie from her belt, speaking into it. “This is Officer Williams. Number five has been obtained and I’ll be heading to the rendezvous point soon.” Before Poppy could even ask, Liz was holding up her hand and shaking her head. “No, you’re not coming.”

“Oh, foobar…”

 

* * *

 

11:39 A.M., December 16th, 20ZS 

Mitchell didn’t stand out in crowds. He was 5’7” and a half, sixteen years old, and the only noticeable thing about him were his bright blue eyes that he never really liked, considering that they made him stand out more than he would like.

Who **did** stand out in a crowd, however, was number four--Saith. He sported dirty blonde hair that was worn long with two slight shorter, but still long, bangs that framed his face. He also had rather large, bright green eyes, and he always wore a lab coat because that’s what he was--a scientist. Mitchell hated scientists, but then again, he had a distaste for many things, much like Sage. Perhaps that was why they got along so well.

It began with his breath turning from quiet and regular to a panting gasp. He sucked at the air like it had suddenly become thick and was now almost too difficult to draw in. He became deaf to the world around him when Saith turned the corner onto an abandoned street and rushed after him, finally exploding as he went straight for the scientists; pummeling, hitting, kicking, biting. When it all came to a stop, Saith was balled up and unconscious, and Mitchell had a scalpel in his arm. It didn’t hurt, even when he pulled it out and threw it down like it was nothing.

It was nothing, to him.

Grabbing his walkie talkie, he grasped at hi arm, trying to at least stop the bleeding.

“Number four has been obtained. I’ll be heading to the rendezvous point as soon as I can pack him up.”

 

* * *

 

5:16 P.M., December 16th, 20ZS 

Before them, the mountains clustered together like they were cold, and under all that snow, there was no doubt that they were. Ryeluen liked to imagine them shivering under their white coats, the real cause of the avalanches perhaps. Perhaps in that rock, they though in the way timeless creatures must, with no regard for time, no concept of what it must be to hurt, be anxious or sad. He liked to think that deep in the tonnes of granite is a spirit of the Earth, slumbering since the time of the dinosaurs or before. At this point, he couldn’t tell which of them the road would take him to as it disappeared in the forest only fifty meters or so ahead. He only could hope that it might pass through a valley between two of them rather than having to scale a peak.

Looking over to the passenger seat, he sighed upon realizing that Miharu had her headphones in and was focused solely on her phone instead of the road ahead of them. It was a small road trip, as he barely got to spend any time with his adopted daughter, but although he was a little annoyed, he still loved her.

She was like a snapshot out of time, her chestnut hair blowing in the winter breeze that came through her open window, and her youthful face turned towards the setting sun. She loved to dance, no matter how sore her feet were at the end of the day, and she danced like the joy of life within her couldn’t be tamed. In one of her many purple shirts and many pairs of jeans, she could be anyone or no one, but to Ryeluen, she was the world itself. Without her, he couldn’t enjoy a simple flower or the rising sun. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe from harm, but he knew that he couldn’t protect her forever. He could only be there when she fell and stand well back while she reached for the stars.

“Can we stop at McDonald’s on the way back?” Miharu suddenly asked, taking out one of her earbuds, and Ryeluen gave her a confused look somewhere between disgusted and curious.

“Why McDonald’s? There was an A&W back there as well, and a Subway. Don’t you, like, **love** Subway?” Ryeluen questioned, and Miharu leaned her head back against her seat with a shrug, crossing her legs.

“Yah, but like… all the Dad’s of the girls at school bring them to McDonald’s whenever they ask.” Miharu explained, and Ryeluen blinked a couple of times. Teenage distress, huh? He knew that this was going to come sooner or later…

“... **All** of them?” He questioned, knowing that she was exaggerating, and Mharu rolled her eyes at her wording.

“Well, not **all** of them, but y’know… the cool ones. The popular ones with boyfriends and groups of friends. And, I mean, Aisley’s Dad doesn’t do it, but Aisley has no friends. She’s actually a little creepy…” Miharu trailed off, knowing that she was getting off track. “I just want food, alright? I’m hungry. What’s wrong with McDonald’s?”

“There’s nothing wrong with McDonald’s!” Ryeluen assured her, smiling a little bit as he thought of chicken nuggets and a milkshake. “But, there’s so many other things there. You’re choosing McDonald’s over Subway all of a sudden and I’m just a bit concerned because you **love** Subway. I’ve nearly gotten into car accidents because we’ve driven past Subway’s and you want a sandwich **so** bad.”

There was a long moment of silence as they went through a tunnel, and the tunnel lights reflected off of Miharu’s bright hazel eyes, but as they came out on the other side, their destination not too far away, Miharu gave a strong shrug and sighed a bit.

“I fucking **love** Subway!” Miharu snapped, obviously irritated, and Ryeluen decided not to scold her strongly on her language this time. Just this time, he’d only let ot a small sigh at her curse. “But all of the other girl’s go to McDonald’s and they’re cool for it! Ashley said--”

“Ashley, as in, Ashley Bredan?” Ryeluen cut in, just trying to make sure, and Miharu nodded in response. Ryeluen rolled his eyes, then motioned for Miharu to continue.

“Ashley said that **all** the cool kids go to McDonald’s. They get drived by their parents, but then they get left there with their friends and get to hang out for an hour before going home.” Miharu explained, and Ryeluen nodded along as he stared at the road ahead of them. “If I want to be a cool kid, I should go to McDonald’s by myself sometime.”

There was a pause as Ryeluen spotted their destination ahead and gave a quick nod.

“Okay. You go to McDonald’s on the way home, order for yourself, take a Snapchat or whatever it is… and I’ll pick up some Subway sandwiches from next door?” Ryeluen questioned with a small grin as he glanced over at Miharu, who seemed to register it just then and give a small nod as she smiled softly.

“Yah… thanks, Ryeluen.” Miharu thanked him, and he nodded.

She went back to her music and stared out her window, just in time for Ryeluen to notice the man walking across the road ahead. He was going slow and wasn’t paying attention, and he was number three. Ryeluen couldn’t help but smirk because this was just perfect timing, and because he had been right. His magic was getting better…

Izink was a broad-shouldered man with black hair that was styled into distinctive dreadlocks, one of them used to tie most of the others into a sort of ponytail, while four thinner dreads dangled in front of his face--two on each side. He had bushy eyebrows and very thick sideburns, the latter of which hooked around his cheeks, parallel to his violet eyes. He also had flesh tunnels with an earring through the hole.

But that didn’t matter when Ryeluen smashed straight into him, most likely just breaking a hip bone, and Miharu jumped, startled from the sudden crash.

“Did we hit something?” She questioned a little frantically, worry playing at her features, and Ryeluen feigned innocence. She didn’t have to know about his work.

“Maybe we hit dinner.” He joked, causing her to scoff and lean back, ready to wait for him to dispose of what they hit.

Ryeluen got out and did just that, dragging Izink’s unconscious body into his trunk without any suspicion arising from Miharu or anyone driving by to see. When he got back into the car, he broke the fake news to her that it had just been a racoon and that he had just taken her own this trip because he felt like she needed to talk about something--and she actually had--and that they would head home now. She pulled a little bit of teenage attitude, but knew to be respectful towards Ryeluen and went quiet as they did a u-turn, heading back down the road.

From under his thigh, Ryeluen quickly tapped at the screen of his phone to contact Rovia and then threw the phone into the cup holder, hitting the gas to go a little quicker. Miharu had no problem with it.

Off to McDonald’s and Subway, then to take her home, and then to go to the rendezvous point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly love Ryeluen.
> 
> Edit: Also, the funny thing about Lyn.. He creates illusions and he doesn't like to fight. I'm explaining this nOW LMAO  
> Nah, but seriously. He's pretty much forced to do crap, so he created an illusion of himself and his SOUL, and was forced to fight as an illusion back in the bake sale chapter. I don't know why I haven't properly fucking explained this in the story, but y'know what, we all make mistakes. Nonetheless, Lyn is a weirdo, but then again, we all are.


	39. Let's Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clay catches herself a number two (that sounds wrong), and Rovia faces number one. Actually, let's rephrase that--the numbers face the entire group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hOLY SHIT I'M SO READY.
> 
> A bit of a shorter chapter, but the next chapter(s) will be longer... I hope lmao  
> WRITING AND INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, I CALL UPON THEE!!

10:11 A.M., December 17th, 20ZS

He was distinguishable with his golden brown eyes, pointed, elf-like ears, upturned eyebrows, and pitch black hair with several gray streaks that was tied into a long ponytail. He also had two visible injuries on his face; the fist being a damaged right eye covered by a plain black eyepatch, while the other was a large, jagged scar extending from his left cheek to just under his left eye. Clay spotted him from a mile away, but didn’t get too close at first. She stayed back, letting him do whatever it was that he usually did outside of the Abaddon because it would be his last time doing so, and when he finally left the crowded streets, she merely walked up to him.

She knew that he knew that she knew who he was, as confusing as it was.

“Well, if it ain’t the little Wardrop! Have you been a good girl recently?” He questioned, obviously trying to throw her off with sarcastic comments, but she merely rolled her eyes.

“The real question is--are you going to hand yourself over quietly, or are you going to put up a fight?” Clay questioned, holding up a pair of handcuffs. This was number two, after all. His name was Norrin, and he was as sneaky as they came. He merely shrugged, though.

“I dunno, are you going to be nice and just put me in a cell until my parents come to get me?” He asked jokingly, and she merely stared straight into his undamaged eye, being serious about this. When he realized that, he let out a heavy sigh. “Are you serious, dolly?”

When Clay snapped the handcuffs onto his hands and gave a passive-aggressive, sweet smile, he knew for sure that she was serious.

“... Well, fuck.”

Clay merely grabbed her walkie talkie from her belt.

“Number two obtained, quite easily.” She bragged, not feeling shameful for doing so. She was still kind of new and needed achievements under her name. “Heading to rendezvous point now.”

 

* * *

 

 

12:38 P.M., December 17th, 20ZS

Rovia didn’t have to go far to find number one: Xerum. Not many people had orange eyes and tanned skin in Ebott, not to mention long, reaching to about mid-back, silver in color hair, some of it falling over their shoulders. His hairstyle was reminiscent of the hair of someone Rovia once knew too well, including his bangs, the color, and the length. The layered, messy look just never escaped his mind.

He supposed that Xerum could be considered an old friend as well. Although, if Rovia ever found Xerum at the bottom of a well, he’d just leave the damn guy there--or better yet, throw a rock at his head.

Nonetheless, it wa easy to find him. It was uncharacteristically easy to handcuff him, to tell the others that he would be at the rendezvous point within minutes, and to shove Xerum into the back of his police car before taking off down the road, nearly at full speed. Being in a car with Xerum was suffocating. Being  **alone** in a car with Xerum made Rovia feel as if he had claustrophobia. Through power of nothing, he seeked power over everything.

“Citizen of light, why do you hate the darkness?” Xerum suddenly questioned, and Rovia stiffened, smashing his foot on the brake as he came to a red light. There was no point in breaking the law, a Sheriff or not.

“... I don’t hate it.” Rovia responded calmly, but he was white-knuckling the steering wheel. “The world is made of light and darkness. You can’t have one without the other, because darkness is half of everything, but we’ll sure as Hell fend off whoever is lurking inside it.”

There was a pause as the light turned green, and then Rovia floored it all over again, just hitting the speed limit.

“... You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light. So, why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing? We, who we're turned away by both the light and the dark, never even given a choice?” Xerum asked, nearly sounding innocent, but Rovia knew better as he sped up even more, turning his sirens and lights on so everybody would move and he could just get this over with. “Tell me  **why** , Rovia Monroe, do you look so pathetic right now?”

Rovia went over the speed limit.

“Because some of your people hurt a little girl who did nothing wrong.” He responded simply, but then kept going without being able to help it. “They used her for their own personal gain. They took her childhood away. They taught her too much magic for her little body to handle, even if she would’ve learned it all later on anyways. You people make me sick to my fucking stomach.”

Rovia tried to never swear, even though he didn’t have any children or were barely around them. Just out of the lessons his Mother used to teach him, he tried his best, but then again, the man in his backseat had brutally murdered her many years ago. Rovia didn’t even ask for any forgiveness for whatever he used against this damned man, because he deserved all of it and more.

Xerum made it no better by laughing.

“Have your laugh. I deserve as much for failing to see you for the fool that you are.” Rovia admitted, swerving to pull into the abandoned parking lot with the rest of the cars belonging to his group, switching off his lights and sirens. “But after this, it’s your turn to get what you deserve.”

Getting out, and pulling Xerum out right after, Rovia made his way to the spot under the bridge where everyone else waited, including the both injured and not injured members of the numbered group they had been sent to collect. They were all awake and slightly patched up, but nonetheless injured.

“Heroes from the realm of light, how lovely to meet your acquaintance.” Xerum spoke as Rovia pushed him down at the end of the line, all of them numbered and most of them sitting, aside from Arwin, who stood in his eighth spot with a look of disgust at how Emhyr looked. Well, how some of the group looked, considering that they had been beaten unconscious.

“Shut the fuck up.” Rovia spat, shocking everyone, but he didn’t really care. They had all done their jobs. This was happening, and it was happening  **now** , but Rovia counted over each one of them just in case he had missed any. He knew he hadn’t, but he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

Number one, Xerum of the Nothingness.   
Number two, Norrin of Space.   
Number three, Izink of the Wind.   
Number four, Saith of the Ice.   
Number five, Bryne of the Earth.   
Number six, Lyn of Illusions.   
Number seven, Emhyr of the Moon.   
Number eight, Arwin of the Fire.   
Number nine, Glynn of the Water.   
Number ten, Preece of Time.   
Number eleven, Selwyn of the Flowers.   
Number twelve, Eleri of the Lightning.   
Number thirteen, Elwyn of the Light.   
Number fourteen, Keil of the Light.

Perfect. They had gathered all fourteen.

“Listen up!” Rovia ordered, and nine of the fourteen rolled their eyes, the others merely sitting--or standing, in Arwin’s case--and his group looked to him as well, ready for the next point of action. “The fourteen of you, except for Arwin because he’s been on our side this whole time and you haven’t realized because you’re  **idiots** , are bait. You’re in the hands of the law now. Those handcuffs? Yah, they cancel of magic.” Plenty of smiles disappeared at that. “If you want to prove yourself as harmless, or make up for your crimes--which some of you  **can** do--then you’ll help. Otherwise, you’re just helping anyways.”

Some looks were exchanged, and some whispers, but they didn’t go on for long.

“We’re going to the Abaddon. We know where it’s surfaced for this winter, considering that somehow you’ve managed to break your binds a bit and appear during this month as well as the summer months now, and we’re going there.” Rovia repeated himself a bit, just to dig into the heads of everyone there that this was really happening. “We’re going to use you to enter the Abaddon, and then we’re going to storm the place. We’re going to capture, or  **kill** , each and every one of you bastards for everything you’ve done over the years. It’s going to suck for you, but it’s going to feel  **great** for us!”

He was really rubbing it in, and he didn’t feel bad about it. He deserved this victory--each and every one of them deserved this victory.

“If you’re willing to help… to make up for your crimes… tell me now.” Rovia demanded, and everything went silent for a moment besides the traffic on the bridge above them.

Then, people started speaking up.

“I’ll help.” Keil suddenly spoke up, gaining multiple glares, but she stuck to her word.

“I’ll help, too.” Elwyn decided straight after, noticing Cathy’s glare. “... Sorry for roundhouse-kicking you, but to be fair, you did kinda sneak up on me.” Cathy rolled her eyes, as did his younger brothers.

“... I’ll help out.” Selwyn suddenly agreed, shocking everyone. Maxim gave a look, but Selwyn only gave a honest shake of the head back. “I’m done with this. It was peaceful on my little farm. I’d like to return after this.” Eleri groaned, rolling her eyes at who she had considered her best friend… and actually still did.

“If I help, I can be free?” She questioned, gaining a pause and then a nod of the head from Rovia. She went quiet for a moment, and then clicked her tongue. “I’ll help, but only because I want to see  Selwyn’s shitty farm.”

“It’s not shitty!” Selwyn insisted, sounding quite offended, and Eleri gave him a look along the lines of “are you sure about that”, causing Selwyn to scoff, obviously offended more so now.

“I-I wanna help, too! I just want to live my life making music!” Glynn insisted, and nobody missed Jeremiah small smile from Glynn’s offer to help.

“I’d rather spend my life reading books than doing whatever the Hell we do for the Abaddon.” Lyn agreed, bringing Jordan to grinned happily.

Everyone was surprised from how many of them were coming forward to help instead of staying loyal to the Abaddon, but then again, it was only half of them… until Emhyr suddenly spoke up.

“I’d like to assist you in your endeavors to lessen my sentence in prison.” He explained, and Rovia gave a nod, glad that Emhyr knew he wasn’t getting off as easily as the others. Although Sage huffed over it, crossing her arms tightly over her chest before wincing at her broken wrist.

Xerum had an unreadable expression, much to Rovia's enjoyment, and Norrin was simply fuming. Preece was in unbearable pain from what everyone had assumed was Minx taking it a bit too far, albeit they knew next to nothing about the Daznews twins, Bryne was clenching his jaw in anger, Saith was huffing angrily, and Izink was in slightly more bearable pain than Preece from Ryeluen ramming into him with his car.

Everyone had stories to share, but they would have to wait. Fighting the Abaddon was much more important at the moment… especially since Xerum was laughing out of place.

“What?” Rovia demanded, and when he only got more laughter in return, Rovia grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and demanded again. “ **What** !?”

Xerum stopped laughing, but still carried a hearty grin in his expression as he responded.

“For a Sheriff, you certainly do not know what takes place in Ebott.” Xerum accused, giving everyone a slight fright Rovia immediately looked to Ryeluen, who grabbed his walkie talkie and pressed the button, the only sound being of everyone else’s breathing.

“... Marcel?” Ryeluen questioned, and everyone waited, but there was no response. Ryeluen licked his chapped lips, and then tried again. “Marcel, it’s Ryeluen, come in!” Again, no response. Ryeluen got frantic. “Marcel, Craig, Brian, Dacian, Aloisia-- **respond** !”

Everyone waited a moment, but there was no answer. Rovia was furious, shaking Xerum by the collar of his shirt because he hadn’t let go just yet.

“What did you do!?” Rovia demanded, more frantic than anyone had ever heard him before, and Xerum would wipe that shit-eating grin off of his face.

“... Your little girl is important to us~.” Saith responded in a sing-song tone, not knowing what Xerum had done, but still loving the fact that everyone was frantic and didn’t know what had hit them.

Rovia still demanded.

“ **What did you do** !?” Rovia screamed in Xerum’s face, entirely losing his cool, and many of the others jumped, unsure why Rovia was so angry and not at all calm like he usually was.

Xerum leaned in close, but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Zorina and Jackson merely paid the Dreemurr’s a little visit. Of course, your group of look-outs wouldn’t dare let things just go the way they’re supposed to, so they got caught up as well.” Xerum explained, and Rovia was white-knuckling the older man’s shirt collar, his eyes wide and full of rage. Everyone could feel it past their own bubbling anger. Xerum then whispered, and the world around them went quiet as he did so.

“They’re in the Abaddon now… but you’re going there anyways, right? So…  **let’s dance** .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I repeat *clears throat*
> 
> hOLY SHIT I'M SO READY.


	40. No Going Down Without A Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some kids get in trouble, and hey... it's the mcfucking Abaddon, bitches.
> 
> Also, the usual is a fucking asshole, and Toriel and Asgore activate Parent Mode™️.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iT'S HERE
> 
> This is the last one for tonight. Look down at the notes at the bottom for some sad news.

10:30 P.M., December 17th, 20ZS

Adar knew that something was wrong when Danny didn’t answer his phone. He always stayed up late and always answered no matter who it was that was calling--at least, that’s what he had told her.

It got even weirder when she called Akina, and the girl didn’t answer. Akina always answered her phone because she hated missed opportunities, and even freaked out over missed calls from random numbers belonging to states far away.

Adar tried Ine instead, but he didn’t answer. Then she called Isabella, but she didn’t answer.

But then, the saving grace amongst saving graces, she called Aiden and someone answered… but it wasn’t Aiden, it was Melina.

“Melina, hey, where’s Aiden? Everyone’s phones must be  **dead** , because no one is answering.” Adar tried joking, but then suddenly heard a sob from across the line, and she got serious. “... Melina… Is everything okay?”

There was a pause of sobs before Melina responded.

“ _ He’s gone. _ ”

Shivers ran up and down Adar’s spine, and she was a fucking phoenix. She lived with flames, in flames,  **as** flames. What the Hell did “gone” mean?

“What do you mean  **gone** ?” Adar questioned, swinging her legs off her bed and holding her phone between her head and shoulder as she grabbed a pair of clothes and started to change, keeping Melina on the line.

“ _ I don’t know. He was here when I fell asleep, but all of the sudden he’s gone. My Mom hasn’t even noticed, and she’s a  _ **_bitch_ ** _ about sneaking out _ .” Melina explained, and Adar scoffed.

“Melina, sweetie, your Mom is just a plain ol’ bitch about everything.” Adar joked before going back to being serious. “I’m calling whoever I can get ahold of, explain the situation, and we’re going to meet outside of school. We’ll search for him, okay?”

There was a pause, and then Melina responded.

“ _ Okay. _ ”

 

* * *

 

 

11:00 P.M., December 17th, 20ZS

Adar was able to get ahold of many people, only to find out that even more people were missing, and all of them, being the dumb kids they were, snuck out of their houses and met up just outside the school.

“Okay, who’s missing?” Adar questioned, and everyone opened their mouths to answer, but she held up a hand. “I know who’s missing, I just wanted to… nevermind.” Everyone shrugged, and she continued on. “Akina and Ine Blake--shut the fuck up about him being Trans for those of you who are hearing now, ya understand, this is more important than any Transphobic bullshit--Danny Cameron, Grace Wrightson, Aiden Binchdt, Isabella Pierce, Olivia Edeline, the entire Dreemurr house, Rory Evitt, Ruri Shiro, Destiny and Cass Allyn, and Nate Skyward. Everyone got that?”

Everyone nodded in response, and Adar gave a heavy nod as she glanced over the huge crowd of children. Her, Melina, Jasmine, Lena, Leo, Chandler, Maggie, Tristan, Peter, Sage, Amber, Jericho, Bailey, Fro, Janiyah, Krystal, Aaron, Aubree, Jonah, and James were all gathered to search.

“Remember: nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world. Let’s fuck shit up and find our friends and family!” Adar yelled, throwing up her fist, an everyone threw up their fists right after her, letting out cheers of agreement.

But after thirty minutes of searching, Adar found herself back in the same spot with Jasmine, Lena, Leo, Melina, Chandler, Maggie, Amber, Bailey, Fro, Aubree, Jonah, and James. The rest of the group was still searching as hard and as far as they could.

“... Nothing…?” Melina pleaded, and everyone felt awful shaking their heads in response. She broke down into sobs again, and was comforted only by the hugs of Maggie, Lena and Leo. Adar clenched her hands into fists, ready to burst into flames of anger.

“Where the fuck are you, Danny…?” She muttered under her breath, walking in circles to cool herself down before suddenly, in the distance, there was flashing lights.

Before anyone could recognize them as the flashing lights of police cars, the cars had sped up and stopped along the curb, and none other than Rovia Monroe had approached the children standing back in their meeting place.

“What are you doing out here!?” Rovia questioned them, sounding a little angry, but they weren’t sure why. Many of them flinched back from him, but Adar stood straight, not afraid to get up in his face.

“We’re searching for our friends! They’ve gone missing and there’s this really bad feeling in all our guts--and it ain’t from cafeteria food!” Adar responded simply enough, still a little upset that her friends were  **missing** all of the sudden, but Rovia shook his head, pointing to the nearby bus stop.

“Go home, right now! We’ll handle the situation.” He insisted, but Adar stood her ground and shoko her head frantically.

“I’m not going  **anywhere** until I find my friends! One of them is my best friend!” Adar argued, and Rovia was getting agitated by the time Ryeluen had arrived in his car, getting out and waltzing past the others who didn’t know how to deal with angry teenagers, stepping in front of Rovia before he could pull out a pair of handcuffs.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s all calm down…” Ryeluen insisted, but Adar only growled.

“I’m not calming down until I know my friends are safe!” She spat, and Ryeluen took it as calm as a single Father could.

“Who are your friends?” Ryeluen questioned, a little curious as to why a group of children were out at night just searching for their missing friends. Why hadn’t they reported it instead? Adar got a little irritated, but repeated the missing friend’s list again.

“The whole Dreemurr household, Akina and Namine Blake, Isabella Pierce, Aiden Binchdt, Grace Wrightson, Olivia Edeline, Rory Evitt, Ruri Shiro, Destiny and Cass Allyn, Nate Skyward… and  **Daniel Cameron** !” She yelled, finally bursting into flames, and Jasmine finally sprinted forward, putting some space between her and the two men, who had paled as they exchanged looks.

“I-I’m so sorry, we’re all just really worried.” She reassured them, not letting Adar go past her arms. “They disappeared suddenly, and we--”

“What were their SOUL colors, each of your human friends?” Ryeluen suddenly questioned, knowing that some of them had to be human. Most monsters didn’t have last names, after all. The kids seemed to pause in confusion, so Ryeluen repeated the question. “Your human friends, list their names and SOUL colors. You know about SOULs, don’t you?”

The kids nodded, wracking their brains, and then Chandler responded first.

“U-Um… Akina has an orange SOUL, Ine has a cyan SOUL, Isabella has a yellow SOUL, Aiden has a green SOUL, Grace has a purple SOUL, Danny had a blue SOUL… a-and Frisk and Chara are the only ones I know of who have red SOULs.” Chandler explained, and the pair of men paled more, frowning as they exchanged looks and nodded to one another.

Rovia moved away, motioning to everyone.

“Move out!” He ordered, not even trying to be quiet, and everyone followed his order.

Ryeluen stayed with the children.

“Alright, I want you all to stay here--” He started, but all of them immediately shook their heads. Defiant… “It’s dangerous, where we’re going. Kids like you can’t come with us, you may get hurt.”

“All the more reason to go!” Melina spoke up, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. “My big brother is where you’re going, isn’t he? He’s a kid, too! I gotta find him!”

_ My big brother is there too, isn’t he? _ Amber questioned, and Ryeluen blinked once at the sudden sign language.  _ He’s all I have besides my Mom, I can’t lose him. _

“I’m not leaving without Danny.” Adar agreed, and all of the kids stomped their feet in unison.

Ryeluen didn’t know how to say no to a group of angry children, so they all headed into the woods--to the “Haunted House” everyone spoke of from time to time.

 

* * *

 

 

12:19 A.M., December 18th, 20ZS

Her eyes opened like two flashlight beams, the new temporal inserts providing enough light to illuminate whatever she looked at. It was like being shown the woods one tree at a time in some crazy memory game, but it was worse than the darkness. She remembered this concrete ground, the little pebbles biting into her. She remembered the thin air that provided very little oxygen, causing her to gasp for breath. She remembered the metal bars caging her into a cell, and this was the exact same one from before.

The only thing different was that others were with her, oddly waking up at the same time asher, but they were confused of their surroundings. They didn’t know what was going on. Fate curled up in her yellow raincoat, pushing her back against the furthest wall and breathing as deeply as she could with the most air she could manage to get, and began to cry without even realizing it until she heard herself sob.

But so many others were with her, so that was the only sob she let out, a couple of tears trailing down her cheeks before she wiped them away, looking around at who was with her. She wasn’t sure whether to be shocked or sorry. Her new family--Asgore, Toriel, Chara, and Frisk--Akina, Ine, Danny, Aiden, Grace Wrightson, Olivia, Rory Evitt, Ruri Shiro, Nate Skyward… and Destiny and Cass Allyn. She could only wonder where Craig, Marcel, Tyler, Brian, Dacian and Ms. Cantre had been taken… 

Fate wanted to die, hearing the footsteps down the hall. She didn’t want them to be familiar, but they were.

“Hello, everyone. Dollface.”

And so was the voice of the usual, Jackson. She couldn’t meet his gaze, but knew that his eyes were burning into her skull, until Chara moved in front of her.

“ **Eat shit** !” They snapped, but Jackson merely chuckled at their antics.

“Wow…” He mumbled, leaning against the metal bars. “I’ve got some real nice prizes, huh?”

Chara then rushed forward, kicking and hitting at the bars, but Jackson had moved away, hands up in mocking surrender. Frisk then grabbed their sibling, pulling them away from their pointless temper tantrum, and they only got angrier before Toriel pulled them down harshly, holding them close as she sent a chilling glare towards Jackson, who merely smiled cheekily in return.

“I was told not to talk to you, as all of you would end up dead after we make use of some purposes you hold, but I just  **had** to see who my little dollface has been hiding with.” He explained, leaning against the bars again as he rested his face against one of his paws, looking as if he could be dreaming about the future. He wasn’t doing anything close to. “I mean, I know she has some charm, but I didn’t think you’d actually fall into his little paws just like putty.”

Everyone scowled, besides Fate and Asgore. Fate because she was terrified out of her mind, but Asgore because he believed that perhaps, just perhaps, he could talk his way out of this for all of them. It was a small chance, but it was a chance.

“We accepted her before she could even trust us, because of what happened to her here.” Asgore explained, using an authoritative tone to his advantage. “I know that there’s no one truly evil in this world… we’re all born the same---with the chance to be good. That chance never goes away. You can take that chance for yourself, if you just--”

“What, let you go?” Jackson questioned, raising an eyebrow in questioning as he scoffed a bit. Asgore paused, but then nodded, and Jackson took a moment to pretend to think before bursting into cruel laughter. “What they say about you is true! You’re just a wimpy king!” Asgore scowled at this, but lowered his head to do so. “So, say I let you go… how far do you think you’ll get? Would you use dollface to escape, with her magic and all?”

Everyone paused, and Fate froze, hugging her knees to her chest. He just never shut up about anything!

“... What magic?” Toriel questioned, her tone low and dangerous, and Jackson smiled wide.

“Whoa… you don’t know?” He asked, looking over at Fate again before grinning and looking back at the pair of goats. “Wow! Well, y’know, just simple stuff… Telekinesis, all the way into the Master level!”

Fate could feel all eyes on her, and she didn’t know whether she wanted to breathe or just couldn’t anymore. Toriel’s eyes widened, and suddenly had a realization, but another realization made her scowl back at Jackson again.

“How do you know that?” She demanded, and Jackson only grinned more. He liked feisty characters…

“Oh, well, that one is  **easy** !” Jackson started, looking back at Fate as tears started to roll down her little, chubby cheeks again. “I spent the most time with her out of anyone here, besides experiments, but I was there for those. She’s  **damn** powerful, it’s a wonder why she hasn’t just killed me. Maybe she got attached before she slipped between our fingers.”

Frisk held Chara back, unsure of why they suddenly jumped at it again.

“Frisk,  **let me go** .” Chara warned dangerously, but the sibling shook their head. Chara’s eyes were full of rage, after all. “Frisk, you  **know** that Flowey overshares with me when it’s just us two! He told me some of what Fate told him! This  **fucker** hurt her!”

For once, Toriel didn’t care for Chara’s language. She simply cared that this man, this damned monster, had hurt her youngest.

“ **You** ?” She spat, questioning it a bit before realizing that, if he indeed did spend most of her time here with her, then he must’ve been the one to harm her so awfully. “Do you even  **know** what you  **did** !?”

Jackson merely shrugged, leaning his head against the cold metal bars as her pondered with a pleasant smile--sickly sweet, just like him.

“Hm, let’s see…” He started, obviously just looking to anger them all more. It was working. “I gave her orders, I punished her, I beat her, I watched over her experiments,  _ I enjoyed myself with her _ \--”

Chara leapt out of Frisk’s hold and smashed into the metal bars, only bruising their right side because Jackson moved quickly. It was a type of quick many of them were acquainted with--teleportation. Toriel’s palms were burning and Asgore had a dark look in his eyes, while Fate merely sobbed in the back corner where she had always sat.

And Jackson felt like he had accomplished something.

“ **I’ll kill you** !” Chara shrieked, smashing into the bars over and over again until Frisk was able to pull them away, falling to the ground with their sibling. Jackson leaned forward one more time, still smiling.

“I hope you do, Chara.”

And with that, he walked away, still smiling to himself over what he accomplished, and many of them we're left angry and upset. Fate had shied away into the corner, but none of them let her stay there for long, talking to ehr and hugging her and promising that it would be okay. She didn’t believe them. She couldn’t, honestly, but she tried her best to pretend like she did and like she could.

They were all uninterrupted for the next hour, until someone suddenly knocked through the thin concrete wall, causing them all to jump. They were apprehensive at first, but calmed down out of trust for Fate when she made her way up to the cold metal bars, leaning to the left of their cell and trying her best to peak out.

“Hey.” A small voice suddenly greeted, and they all scurried over to see the person in the cell next to them. She was a little girl, a young Pheofrash at perhaps merely… only two years old. She had lovely lilac fur and bright azure blue eyes that popped out of the bright purple, but she was half of Fate’s size and she reached out her little paw for Fate to grasp. “I’m the Little One. I have no name.”

Fate paused, as did all of them, but then reached out her paw to shake… this young girl’s paw.

“I’m Fate…” She spoke softly, watching as the young girl marvelled over her cast.

“Fate, like the higher-ups also talk about? You’re big here!” The young girl insisted, but Fate only shrugged. The young girl frowned at that. “... You wanna get out again, huh?”

“... More than anything…” Fate mumbled, and then lit up a bit when the young girl smiled knowingly. She was obviously intelligent for her age, and reminded Fate a lot of herself when she was a very little girl.

“Well… I know some secrets, Fate.” The young girl assured her, and a moment passed before Fate suddenly took a seat, holding onto the metal bars of the cell as she leaned as close as she could to the youngster.

“Tell me, Little One.” She pleaded, and the young girl brightened up immediately, nodding frantically.

There was no going down without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there'll only be one or two more chapters of this story... now that I'm really thinking, and no spacing or squishing, I think either next chapter or the chapter after that will be the final chapter.
> 
> Holy fucking shit, y'all... it's coming...


	41. It's The End...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You love her, you do.  
> And here's the miracle: she loves you, too.  
> You're allowed to have her. You love each other, you do.  
> And here's the tragedy: it's not enough.
> 
> You are not allowed to save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're not even ready.

6:30 A.M., December 18th, 20ZS

_ Button Up Your Coat, This Submarine Is Leaking. _

The slam of a door was the tempest inside SOULs made audible, but when the first metal door slammed open, it was a fact that something was just getting started. Only two opened overall, not out of a selfish act, but more of a thoughtful one… and one to raise the security, for a matter. When the cell doors were found open, but no more tampered with than they had been when shut earlier, rage began bubbling over.

“ **Find them** !”

Telekinesis was not something to be fought with, but against the Abaddon, even Fate would use the tricks so far up her sleeves that they were dusty from hibernation. If it hadn’t been for the young girl in the cell next to her, she wouldn’t have gathered the courage to use her telekinesis in this place again, but she wanted out before any more harm could be done, and she wasn’t going to leave her family or her friends.

_ Whatever you do, just stay out of sight. _

The entire group turned, running as quickly as their different  sized legs could carry them and bolting through the hallways like Olympic champions at the start gun; the pounding noise of their shoes resonating off the walls of the hallway with a clanging echo that hatched the throbbing hearts inside their chests with the thick fear they all felt as they ran. They turned, going one way, and then the doors at the end off the hallway slammed open, causing them to all have to stop and go back the way they came. Some of them slipped, but stayed on their feet, and others ushered others to move and go as quick as they could back the other way. However, their were troops following them from that way, so they had to rush into another turn, sprinting down another long hallway.

“I’ll never skip gym class every again!” Danny panted heavily from the middle of the group, his hair nearly slick with sweat as if he had never run for his life before. Honestly, he probably hadn’t.

But then they were cut off from that side as well, now cornered from all sides, and they all stood as close together as possible, unsure if there was a way out and some knowing that there really couldn’t be. They had just gotten themselves into more trouble…

Until Fate decided that she wouldn’t have it. Lowering her head, she focused very hard on the troops around them, listening to her breathing and to their heartbeats… and she squeezed. Over the next couple of seconds, the troops started bleeding from the ears, then the noses, then the mouths, and then finally, from the eyes until they choked on their own blood that their hearts had produced too much of and they fell to the ground, falling unconscious for the last times in their lives.

All of them, at the same time.

_ You don't belong here. _

With a bloody nose and over-exerted body, Fate collapsed in a tired heap, hitting the ground before anyone could break her fall. They all immediately freaked out, worried that she had used too much magic, but when they realized that she was just drained from pushing herself so hard, they started to get themselves together.

“We have to go.” Isabella reminded them all but before they could even make a move, more troops rounded the corner, lead by none other than Jackson.

“Leave her!” He snapped, not even caring about the bodies at his feet as he approached them, but they all took a step in front of Fate. “Step away.”

“No!” Chara snapped, and Frisk shook their head from right behind them. “You want her, you’ll have to kill us first!”

“That’s right!” Olivia agreed, and Akina then stepped around Ine and spat at the enemies in front of them

“ **Eat shit** !” She repeated from Chara earlier that day, and at first, it seemed like they would be fine.

But then a huge group of backup troops suddenly appeared from behind them, dragging each of them away from the exhausted girl in her bright yellow raincoat no matter how big or strong they were. After all, the Abaddon always had something to defeat someone with, no matter who they were. They all yelled and tried to fight back, but by then, it was too late because Jackson had got to Fate, sitting down beside her and pulling her up. She was absolutely beyond exhausted, eyes drooping and nose bleeding from both nostrils instead of one.

“Let her go! Let her go, you  **bastard** !” Chara screeched, still fighting against the guard holding them back, but there was no use. Fate whimpered, looking around frantically because she could barely hear or see due to using too much magic all in one, but Jackson forced her to look at him.

“Hey, 715.” He addressed her, using her prisoner number instead of any of her names. It made many of them mad, and made her feel a little hopeless. “No one else has to get hurt, alright…?”

There was a pause, which felt like minutes to many of them, before Fate spoke, ever so softly.

“... Bad…” She accused him righteously, and his face fell. She only repeated it, much more stable that time. “... Bad.”

She looked over, only able to catch her eyes on one person since they were still wiggling around and making sound, and she weakly reached out with her fractured arm, leaning a bit despite Jackson’s arm holding her back.

“Chara…” Fate weakly called, on the verge of breaking into tears, and Chara looked right about there as well, struggling so hard to try and get out of the soldier’s grip.

And then, the electricity suddenly spiked, causing everyone to freeze. One by one, the lightbulbs smashed out… but Fate was too weak to be the one doing it. Then Jackson looked down, just seeming to now take in the fact that there was so much blood, and his jaw dropped, eyes widening with an emotion Fate had only ever seen once-- **fear** .

_ Monsters are not all they seem. _

**Thud.**

**Thud.**

**Thud.**

**_Crack…_ **

“ **_HAZUSZELON_ ** !!!”

All of the troops banded together, letting go and forgetting their purpose of being there, and Jackson seemed to forget as well. They as reached for their weapons and charged, trying to take down the disgusting creature in front of them, and the group trying to escape tried their best to do so quickly.

Chara rushed forward, picking up their sibling in their arms, and was careful of her dangling limbs as they rushed back to the group, taking the lead with all of them following quickly behind. This wasn’t really about escaping at the moment--it was about hiding. They had to find a place to hide from the creature and they had to do it  **now** .

“In here!”

Everyone listened to the young girl they barely knew, rushing into the nearly empty white room and slamming the door behind them, locking it and moving away from it.

And in the room, having been there the whole time, were Brian, Dacian, Marcel, Craig, and Aloisia.

“It’s about time you showed up!” Akina snapped at them, pulling the table closer to Chara as they lugged Fate over to it, gently resting her on top of it.

“What’s going on!?” Craig questioned, ignoring the hot-headed youngster, and Grace got to have her freak out.

“There’s some weird creature out there and we’re all in some weird place and everything is awful!” Grace yelled in explanation, sitting in the back right corner with her head in her hands. “I wanna go home.”

Having nothing else to do and feeling quite bad for the younger girl, Ine knelt down beside her, calmly rubbing her back to try and help her take deep breaths so she wouldn’t have an anxiety attack.

But then, the lock started to jiggle, causing everyone to snap their heads over to it. It jiggled, and jiggled, and jiggled, as if someone was trying to pick the lock… and then it swung open, and they we're all greeted by familiar faces before it was slammed and locked again.

“Aiden!” Melina cheered with a sob, rushing to her older brother, who wrapped her up in a hug, and the same kind of thing went on between Danny and Amber, albeit Adar had wrapped herself around both of them, having missed her best friend. Jonah and James rushed to Olivia, Aubree to Nate quite oddly, and everyone got to have their share of hugs.

“Ye took yisser sweet time, girlie.” Dacian joked, wrapping Clay in a hug, and she gave him a tight squeeze with a laugh in return.

“Shut up, you Irish bastard.” She laughed, pushing him away in order to give Brian a pat on the shoulder, in which he did the same to her.

“ **Hello, what about the deadly creature!?** ”

Every turned to little Grace in the corner, and then exchanged looks with many others. They didn’t know what to do other than wait it out if they could, which was fucking peachy keen considering that they were just down the hall from it and Fate had a bleeding nose. It was attracted to blood, they were quite sure of that now. Before anyone could say anything about it, Destiny had climbed up on the table, pulling his flannel sleeve over his wrist and carefully wiping away the drying blood from Fate’s nose before she suddenly grabbed his paw, the lights starting to flicker.

“... Just hold on a little longer, okay?” He asked her softly, squeezing her little paw as tightly as he could without hurting her and being considerate of her cast. “You’ll be home soon.”

There was a pause, everyone listening for her breathing, and she inhaled a deep breath.

“... Promise…?” She asked quietly, and Destiny gave her a small smile.

“Promise.”

Suddenly, from outside the door, there was loud screeching from the creature and loud gunfire from the troops, causing them all to jump and move away from the door even more than they had when they first entered the room They all froze, staring at the door and listening to some man screaming, before things suddenly went silent…

“... Is it gone…?” Phil wondered, and things stayed silent.

And then the creature slammed down the door, roaring at all of them. There was only one door, and it had been its entrance, so there was no exit for them unless they fought back. However, when many of them stepped forward to do so--most of the adults and a couple of the kids--the creature roared even louder than before, and somehow threw all of them back so they slammed into the back wall with so much pressure, many of them lost at least half of their HP if not more. Chara may have stayed down after that, but they at least grabbed a hidden knife from their boot, twisting it in their hand a bit before yanking it back and throwing it forward sharply.

Straight into the creature’s face, right before it slammed into the doorframe, cracking it and nearly breaking the brick and metal of it. All of them jumped a bit, not understanding what happened and first, but small movement caught their attention.

Despite being immensely drained, Fate had fought back for them, pinning the creature to the doorframe--or, more so, what was now left of it. In her bright yellow raincoat, with her nose bleeding from one nostril, she had gotten on her feet and made her way forward with slow, small steps. They barely echoed in the room that was quiet besides the screeching of the creature she was up against, but they somehow made a terrifying argument against the screeching.

“Fate, don’t!” Destiny yelled at her, because she was so small against the huge creature, and he tried to run to her, but she held out a paw, throwing him back so he went sliding across the ground and into the back wall softly.

The creature squealed under the pressure of her magic, writhing in pain and screeching in anger, but she merely approached it, expression calm and eyes angry. The lights started to flicker dangerously, one or two bulbs cracking from the pressure, and everyone was forced to simply watch as Fate stopped, slowly looking back at the many people who had made a difference in her life.

“This is not yours to fix alone!” Toriel told her, breaking her calm composure and bursting into tears. “You act like you’re all alone in this world, but you’re  **not** !  **You’re not alone** !”

Despite the small smile she gave and the look of reassurance, she managed to dig deep into all of them, causing many tears.

Turning back to the creature, her magic flared, making the best of what she could as she pulled it apart, both of her nostrils bleeding now as she lifted her small, cast-covered paw to help her magic focus on what she wanted to do. It was hard, and her brain felt like it was going to melt, but she kept herself focused with a piercing scream,  **determined** to win. With the creature’s squealing and her screaming, everyone had to cover their ears, some unable to watch as the creature was turned to ashes by the sheer power of a very little girl who had changed their lives--and the world as they knew it.

And as Fate Dreemurr disappeared alongside its ashes with only a word left behind in her soft voice.

“ **_Goodbye_ ** .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter with be the epilogue, and it won't take long to write.
> 
> I intend to take a bit of a break while I get the sequel together along with its first chapter and all. It won't be too long of a break, considering this cliffhanger aND THE ONE I INTEND TO USE IN THE EPILOGUE, JUST HOLD UP.
> 
> But yah. Get ready for the epilogue, and a small wait for the sequel.


	42. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end as we know it, my friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The short epilogue lmao
> 
> 476 words of "do you want a sequel?"

7:30 P.M., December 24th, 20ZS

Craig made his way down the snowy road, happy for the police car and happy for the top-of-the-line winter tires considering all the black ice he had already slipped on this year, and having fell on his ass for. It was damn cold out, and windy, and it had been snowing nearly non-stop since the beginning of December. What could he say, though? It was Christmas.

And despite it being dark, he pulled over his car and got out, carefully walking down into the woods near the elementary school. The Haunted House had been torn down and all that was left of it was a well, with a grate and a piece of wood over it because it wasn’t being used… for what it was supposed to be used for. Pulling out a couple of baggies from his pockets, he pulled the wood off the top of the well and placed the baggies on top of the grate, staring at them for a moment.

“... Chicken nuggets and onion rings, right?” He questioned, scratching at his head a bit, and then picked up the wooden piece, placing it back on top of the well.

He took a moment, watching his breath in the winter air, and then he left, heading back to the police car and driving off after buckling himself in. Marcel would have his head if he didn’t, after all, and Rovia would have his head if he didn’t show up to Christmas dinner.

 

* * *

Unknown Time and Location, Christmas Day, 20ZS

She awoke to a new world filled with extreme pain.

Her eyes flickered open, her vision going in and out as she struggled to adjust to the darkness. Below her, pressed against her back, was a platform so cold, she felt as if she was lying in snow. In the silence around her, she had never been so aware of how loud her heart seemed to pound in her ears. It was as if her heart had been presented before her and she could physically visualize the sight of her heart ticking with each pump of blood.

She couldn’t see an inch in front of her. She couldn’t hear anything else. She couldn’t smell anything.

Slowly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and felt her way forward, but couldn’t find anything. Pulling her knees to her chest, she wasn’t aware that she was crying until she felt wetness on her cheeks. She sucked in a deep breath, and then let it go. It did no good to dwell on a world she didn’t know.

Finally, when she was certain that the tears had faded, she stared into the dark, and it stared back in the form of something red. Something blinking. Something beckoning her to come forward, to go to it, to get out of this  **void…**

She inhaled again, and let it out in a name.

“...  **_Chara_ ** …?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tHIS IS IT. HOLY FUCK.
> 
> It's been so great to take this journey with you guys! I love you all so much, thank you for your love and support, and I hope to see you at the sequel when I get it uploaded!
> 
> It may be tonight, it may be tomorrow, it may be in awhile, but the sequel is coming. Whether it's updated as frequently as this one, we'll have to see!


	43. A/N

**The sequel is up as of now! Here's the link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12734604/chapters/29038959**

**Please enjoy the continuation of our journey! It may be slow, and it may be odd, but it'll still be good, I hope!!**

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, please leave a Kudo or even a comment with your thoughts! I love talking to people online and I love prediction + feedback comments because they help me out a lot!!


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